Not His Type
by Tanyaleefr
Summary: There's a new girl working with our favourite CSIs. Who would've thought Ryan would fall for her... she's SO not his type. NOW COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Introducing Hayley**

"Ok Alexx! What have you got?" Ryan Wolfe bent down to look at the body. It was very early in the morning, the sun had just gone up and they were already at a crime scene, looking at the dead body of a young man who looked to be between 20 and 25 years old.

"I haven't started yet, Ryan. Just give Hayley a minute to get here." She answered.

Ryan sighed, annoyed. "Who's Hayley? You usually don't need anyone with you to do this Alexx."

"Well, Ryan, the work load is getting heavier and I decided that I do need some help. I just need to make sure that Hayley gets a good start at this."

Ryan grimaced and scratched his left eyebrow. "Well I think the first thing this Hayley should learn is to be on time."

"Thanks. I'll make sure to remember." A voice behind him answered. Startled, Ryan stood up, turned around and came face to face with said Hayley. At first, he thought she couldn't be an medical examiner, since she looked so young. She was short, about the same height has Calleigh was, and had fiery red hair that reached past her shoulders. She was wearing a bright purple short-sleeved shirt and dark jeans.

She lifted an eyebrow at him, waiting to see if he had another bright remark to tell her. When he didn't say anything else, she nodded and walked up to where Alexx was crouched down. She bent down to her level, handing her her kit.

"Getting to the lab and back took longer than I thought Alexx, I'm sorry if I kept you waiting." She opened her own kit and some gloves on, ignoring the man who bent down on the other side of the body.

"There's no problem baby, you're nice to have gone in the first place." Alexx smiled and pointed at Ryan. "The _very_ charming man right here is CSI Ryan Wolfe. You'll be working with him quite a lot in the future."

Ryan frowned at the black woman, who smiled and continued, "This young lady is Hayley Carter, my new assistant. She was nice enough to go get my kit at the lab for me since I had forgotten it."

Hayley set her dark brown eyes on him and shook his hand awkwardly and before Ryan could say anything else, she was staring back down at the body. "Well I don't want to be rude or anything, but shouldn't we be looking at this poor guy right here?"

Alexx nodded. "Hayley, I'll let you start and I'll tell you if I think you're missing something."

"Alright, well at first look, I'd day he's definitely been through hell. Bruises cover the whole body, broken right arm and wrist." She frowned and turned the vic's head to the side. "He seems to have suffered a major trauma to the head, which was probably the cause of death."

As Ryan listened carefully to Hayley's description of the body, he couldn't keep from stealing short glances at her face. She looked like an eighteen year old girl trying to sound like a geek. The thought made him grin, which he quickly hid as a grimace when Hayley looked up at him. "The autopsy will be able to tell us more. We'll keep you posted."

Alexx pulled her latex gloves off and put her hand on the girl's shoulder, "Well Hayley baby, you did it almost better than I would have." She gave it a squeeze and started towards her vehicle.

Hayley's face lit up as she pulled her own latex gloves off. "Thanks Alexx." The bright smile disappeared as soon as she looked back at Ryan. "We'll take the body back to the lab. I'll let you know as soon as something else comes up." And she was gone.

"Right. Thanks. It's going to be a pleasure working with you too." He muttered under his breath. Who could have known such a cute little thing could be so cold. He sighed, scratched his eyebrow again and started working on finding evidence.

XXXXXX

Back at the lab, Ryan was walking through the halls when he spotted Eric and Calleigh in the break room. He was still waiting for his results, so he decided that he could take a short break too. He walked in the room and waved at the couple.

Eric waved back at him and pointed at the fresh coffee pot behind him. "Hey man, we heard that your day started very early this morning. Grab a cup of coffee before you fall asleep on us." Ryan smiled at the last comment. Cup in hand, he leant back against the counter and took a sip from it. "Have you guys met the new ME who started working with Alexx?"

"Yeah, Hayley, right? I thought she seemed really nice. I think I'll enjoy working with her." Calleigh answered. She always had something nice to say about everyone.

Eric grinned and winked at him. "Yeah I met her. She's awfully cute for a geek, don't you think? I'll really enjoy "working" with her too." Calleigh just rolled her eyes and slapped his arm. Ryan snorted and took another sip.

"Well I don't think we had a good start. She was at the crime scene with Alexx this morning. I could almost see knives coming out of her eyes when she was looking at me."

Eric laughed. "And you're always SO nice to everybody, right?" Ryan picked up a plastic spoon from the counter and threw it at his friend.

"Aw come on Ryan, give her a chance." Calleigh said as she and Eric both stood and started walking to the door. "You'll have to work with her one way or another! Might as well make it enjoyable!"

Ryan grinned and nodded…

The rest of the day went pretty fast. Ryan, with the help of the evidence he had found at the crime scene, was able to close the case and put a criminal behind bars. At the end of the day, he went back to his apartment, not even thinking once about Hayley Carter.

XXXXXX


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Man in pink, lady in red**

The next morning, Ryan woke up with a headache, which probably came from his lack of sleep. "I really need a day off, and soon." He muttered to himself. Working as a CSI was the greatest job ever, but it really took a lot of time and energy. He got up and after a long hot shower, got dressed.

He knew some people liked to criticize the way he dressed, but he actually liked his flashy shirts a lot, so he didn't really care. So, just to keep people talking, and also because he thought that it looked good on him, he decided to wear his pink shirt and tie. Satisfied at his reflection, he grabbed his keys and locked his front door. He would grab something to eat on his way to work.

He had barely made it inside the lab when he got a phone call from Horatio, telling him to join him at a crime scene on the beach. Ryan swallowed what was left of his breakfast and went back to the hummer.

As soon as he reached the crime scene, he noticed that the new girl was there and not Alexx. He sighed and drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. He really had to make a better impression this time. Trying to forget about the headache which was still bothering him, he put on a friendly face, grabbed his kit and left the car.

Hayley was already bent over the body of a woman who looked to be in her forties, informing Horatio about what she could see. She was wearing a black hoodie with bright red jeans which made Ryan cringe. Way too flashy for his tastes. Her red hair was in a high ponytail, which made her look even younger than she already did.

"Hey H, Hayley. What have we got here?" He grinned at Hayley when she looked up at him, her dark brown eyes taking him in. Unlike last time, a small smile actually reached her lips.

Horatio stood up and put his glasses back on. "Mrs. Carter will tell you all you need to know." And he left. Ryan watched him walk away for a second before turning his attention back on Hayley. He bent down to her level and flashed her another smile. "I'm all ears!"

Hayley grinned, her eyes never leaving the victim. "Well, Mr. Wolfe, seems we got a classic case of strangulation. See the marks on her neck..." she pointed at a dark line on the vic's throat, "Someone wrapped something very large, like a belt or something else like it, around her neck."

As Ryan followed Hayley's description of the victim's body, he couldn't help noticing how serious and professional she sounded. He had to agree with Delko's comment, she was very cute. Sure her red hair and her clothing style DID make her look a lot younger than she probably was, but he couldn't help finding her very attractive.

"Helloooo?! Earth to the pink panther! Are you still in there Mr. Wolfe?" Hayley was trying to get his attention, which was clearly miles away from his job.

"What did you call me?" Ryan frowned; did she really call him that?

She waved a hand at him. "Well, your shirt is really… wow." Hayley grinned maliciously. "It's not often I get to see a guy wearing so much pink. Let's just say it's… refreshing."

Ryan frowned and straightened. "You're the one to talk Mrs. Carter. You actually look a little like Astro Boy with your red pants." He crossed his arms on his chest, quite proud of his comeback.

Hayley grimaced and looked down. "Well, I guess I deserved it." She took off her latex gloves and brushed her hands over her pants. "I'll see you back at the lab cotton candy man!" And with that she winked at him and left towards her vehicle.

Ryan sighed and scratched at his eyebrow. That girl really was annoyingly cute... but so not his type. Looking at Hayley walking away one last time, he shook his head and went to work. He never even realized that his headache had disappeared.

XXXXX

When Ryan walked back in the lab later that day, the first thing he heard was laughter coming from one of the DNA labs. Curious, he walked towards the sound and was surprised to see the young redhead laughing with Valera. He got closer, but wasn't fast enough to know what they were laughing about.

Ryan reached the entrance and leaned against the door frame. "My my, we're having a lot of fun here! What's going on?" He smirked and cocked his head to the side.

"Oh, Hayley and I were just talking about… stuff. Nothing you need to know." Valera winked at Hayley. "Well, I got to get back to work. Hayley, I'll talk to you later 'kay?"

"Sure, no problem." Hayley waved at her, turned and stopped, staring at Ryan. "You're still here? Don't you have work to do? Bad guys to catch? Other people to annoy?"

Ryan forced a laugh and shrugged. "I'm on my break. What's your excuse?"

Hayley rolled her eyes and walked in the little space left between his body and the door. "I've got to go eat something. I'm starved."

He turned and started walking with her towards the break room. "Well, I'll go with you then, since you seem to enjoy my company so much!" Ryan knew sarcasm wouldn't get him anywhere, but he just couldn't help it when that girl was around. She was just so much fun to annoy.

They walked in silence for a little while and Ryan couldn't keep himself from glancing at her. She really did look too young to be working in a police department. Her hair, which was still in a high pony tail, swung from side to side at every little step she made.

"So how old are you anyway?" The question was out before he even got the chance to stop it.

Hayley grinned and shook her head. "The age question again. I really can't help it if I look young. In a few years, I'll be happy about it though. And no, I won't change the way I dress. I'm 26."

Ryan stopped and put his hands up in surrender. "Hey you don't need to go all defensive on me, it was only a question."

Hayley, who had stopped when he did, smiled and put her hands on her forehead. "I'm sorry, it's just that so many people have asked me the same question already, it's really getting on my nerves."

"It's alright." They finally reached the break room and Hayley went to the refrigerator to get her lunch. Ryan made himself a cup of coffee and sat at the table with her. "So, you're obviously not from Miami," he grinned at the look she gave him, "where are you from exactly?"

Hayley smiled and put her bag of little carrots between the two of them. "I'm from the United States of America." She chuckled. "No, seriously, I was born in New York, but having the mom that I have, I never really got to stay anywhere for a very long time. The last place I stayed at was New Jersey, where I went to college. And after that, just a few weeks ago, I decided to move to Miami."

Ryan took a little carrot and put it in his mouth, chewing with a frown. "Why Miami?"

"Why not? The weather's nice, the guys are extremely sexy and it's too far for my mom to visit every day."

"What's wrong with your mom?"

Hayley smiled and swallowed her bite. "_Everything_'s wrong with my mom. No, really, she can be nice, sometimes, when she really feels like it. And I do love her. She's just overly eccentric. We get on each other's nerves so fast. It's like one second, everything's fine, and the other, she says something that makes me lose it."

As Hayley went on about her relationship with her mom, Ryan couldn't help but notice how her dark brown eyes sparkled. He could see she really loved her mom. "You miss her."

Hayley looked down and grinned sadly. "I do. We're completely different. We fight all the time. She's extremely annoying. But I miss her. She's the only family I have." Sighing, she took another bite out of her sandwich and chewed silently.

Ryan took a sip, thinking. "How about your dad?"

Hayley covered her mouth and laughed. "Do you really think any man would be able stand my mom? I don't know who he is… and frankly? I don't want to know, judging from the types of men she attracts."

Ryan emptied his cup, took a handful of little carrots from the bag between them and stood. "If it can make you feel any better, I don't think you're that different from your mom. You seem to have gotten her annoying gene." He smiled and shoved three carrots in his mouth.

Hayley opened her mouth, almost insulted. "You're the one talking! That'll teach me to open up to you." She pointed at the bag of carrots. "By the way, take the bag. You should eat more of these from now on; you look fat in those suits."

Ryan laughed and shook his finger at her. "I'll let you keep them; I hear carrots can make you grow taller."

Hayley laughed, picked a carrot and threw it at the door. Ryan was gone before it hit him. 'Man, that guy's sooo annoying.'


	3. Chapter 3

**THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS EVERYONE!!!!!!**

**Chapter 3: Bad Jokes and Post-Its**

"Hey man, you'll never believe what happened last night." The moment he saw Eric walk in the lab with a smug look on his face, Ryan knew he would get a complete detailed description of his night out. 'Man, that guy gets lucky every time he goes out.'

But he wasn't jealous… Nah, of course he was. He'd never tell anyone, but he actually felt lonely sometimes, falling asleep all alone every night in his empty apartment.

"Alright pal, tell me all about it." Ryan put his elbows on the table in front of him and kept his voice down. "A tall brunette? Or a beautiful blonde with huge… personality?"

Eric smiled and shook his head. "No, nothing like that man. Yesterday after work, I decided to go to that new club in town, you know, to unwind a little…"

Ryan snorted. "Riiiight…"

Eric smiled his cocky smile. "And I can tell you, I saw many hot blondes… and brunettes… but I also saw one redhead in particular."

Ryan, who was shaking his head at Eric, stopped and frowned. "Hayley was there? Little, kid-looking Hayley?"

Eric snorted. "Well, from what I remember, she's not _that_ kid-looking. Valera and her went out clubbing last night." He leaned towards Ryan and almost started whispering. "I saw Valera, she was wearing a sexy little white dress…" He chuckled. "But MAN, is she a bad dancer." He shook his head and became serious again. "But when I saw Hayley… wow. She was so totally hot."

He grabbed his phone from his pocket and opened it. "I actually made a little video… I just couldn't help myself." Eric found what he was looking for and gave the phone to Ryan, who took it almost too eagerly. The video started and loud dance music could be heard. The first images were blurry, but then it cleared and he saw her. Eric must have been standing on the other side of the dance floor, but he had a great view of little Hayley, who was dancing on a stage.

Ryan's eyes grew a little wider. She was wearing a bright yellow tank top and tight blue jeans. With her orange hair and porcelain skin, she really stood out from the crowd. Even if she looked almost overdressed compared to all the girls there, there was something about her that made her look a lot sexier. She was dancing with her eyes closed, her hair flying. The video went on for a few seconds and stopped.

Eric chuckled. "Yeah, I had pretty much the same face when I first saw her. The funniest part is, tons of guys tried dancing with her, but she kept pushing them away. The look on her face was to die for, I was certain she would end up hitting one in the balls. She seemed completely oblivious to the attention she was getting." He took his cell phone from Ryan's hands and put it back in his pocket. "I'm never gonna get rid of this video. Anyway, I'll catch you later; I have something to take care of."

Ryan, who still hadn't said a word, watched Delko walk out of the lab. "Ok, back to work, Wolfe." He said out loud. 'Right… easier said than done.'

XXXXX

Later that day, as Ryan was walking towards the elevators, he spotted the short redhead walking his way. Her hair covered most of her face since she was walking with her head down. She was texting something on her phone. She was wearing tight black jeans and a bright orange and white striped tank top.

Ryan smiled mischievously and changed his path. A few seconds later, she hit his chest full force and almost fell backwards.

"Ow, ow, ow, my hand!!!" Ryan was holding his 'injured' hand to his chest.

Hayley dropped her phone. "Oh my God, are you ok??? I'm soooooooo sorry! It's all my fault; I wasn't watching where I was going! COULD THIS DAY GET ANY WORSE?" She was shouting now. Mortified, Hayley was trying to take his hand to get a look at it.

Seeing the look on her face, Ryan couldn't take it any longer. He started laughing at her, waving his hand in front of her face to show her it was okay. "Gosh Hayley, you should have seen the look on your face! Priceless!"

Hayley frowned and bent down to pick up her phone. "Fat headed moron."

Ryan's eyebrows shot up. "Hey! What, you can't take a joke?"

"Well your jokes suck."

Ryan sighed, crossed his arms over his chest and cocked his head. "So, I heard you had a good time last night?"

Hayley lifted an eyebrow, clearly unhappy. "Wouldn't you like to know! I'm sure you spent _yours_ watching late reruns of Miami Vice on cable."She laughed at her own joke and started walking again. "Get to work _DON_!!!" And with that, she left him standing alone in the hall.

Ryan shook his head and watched her walking away. 'Man, she really has a nice little b… stop it'. He told himself. He scratched his eyebrow, sent her one last look and went to the elevator.

XXXXX

The following days were pretty much the same. Every time Ryan crossed Hayley, she would always have a witty come back for all his comments. He was really starting to like this girl… even if he would never tell anyone he did.

One morning, while working at a crime scene, Calleigh saw him stealing glances at Hayley. Well actually, the petite woman was talking to him and he never even realized it. Grinning, she walked up to him quietly. "See something you like?"

Ryan jumped and turned around, red faced. "What?!?"

Calleigh laughed and pointed at Hayley. "You like her."

"How old are you Cal, twelve?" He snorted. "You're seeing things."

She lifted and eyebrow. "You were staring at her… "

He opened his mouth to call her crazy again, but stopped and grinned at her. "So, YOU were staring at me?"

She laughed even louder. "I was actually talking to you, smart mouth. Anyway, you're _so_ not her type."

He cocked his head and looked down at her. "Alright, I'm gonna ask you the question you _want_ to hear: why not?"

"You're too serious for a girl like Hayley. I don't think you'd be able to follow her."

He crossed his arms on his chest and smirked. "Well, I don't think the difficulty would be to follow her. I just wouldn't be able to STAND her. And she's not my type either anyway. "

Calleigh, who was trying to keep a straight face, just nodded. "Right. SO… do you think you'll be able to focus on the job?"

Ryan laughed and scratched his eyebrow. "Sure, boss!" She winked at him and went back to where she had been working. He shook his head and also went back to work, stealing one last glance at Hayley, who was packing her things. Sure, the girl was smart, funny and very intelligent. He even thought she was hot. But his type had always been classy tall blondes. Not the… young big mouths who listened to loud punk music on their mp3 player and danced in the middle of the morgue… (he had actually surprised her doing it once.)

However the following day, whenever he would find a little pink note (she had decided to start a Post-It battle with him) stuck to his locker… or in his lab coat… or in his kit (which was always safely locked away)… or glued under his shoe (he never did find out how she had done this one), he couldn't help the smile from reaching his face. And his heart DID start beating a little bit faster, even if these notes only said things like 'Wipe that annoying smirk off your face' or 'a clown told me you stole his tie'.

Still, Hayley was NOT his type.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **I KNOW Kyle is not on the earlier episodes of the show, but I thought it would be fun to include him in my story. AND I also know the whole team would probably never get a day off all at the same time… Oops. (:

**Let me know what you think! I looooooooooove getting reviews!!!!!**

**Chapter 4: Screaming Hyenas And Burnt Marshmallows.**

"I think Kyle has a crush on you." Alexx and Hayley were down at the morgue, working. Everything was pretty quiet. That same morning, Kyle had come around just to say 'hi', like he had said. He had barely opened his mouth, Hayley and Alexx had done most of the talking. And when Kyle decided to leave, he had waved nervously at them and stared at Hayley a little too long to look natural. His cheeks were completely red.

Hayley smiled. "I know, isn't it cute. Mini Horatio has a thing for me. If he were a little older, I would probably have made a move on him already. He's awfully cute."

"Oh that he is." They laughed together. "And let me tell you, girl, we have absolutely nothing to complain about when it comes to the men we have to work with… They're all _very_ handsome."

Hayley gave her an innocent look and shrugged. "Oh really? I haven't noticed."

Alexx lifted her eyebrows pointed her finger at her. "Hayley baby, never lie to your mother."

The redhead threw her head back and laughed. "Okay _mom_." She shook her head and sighed.

Both women smiled at each other and concentrated back on their work. A few minutes later, the older woman's head had shot up. "Hey Hayley, by the way, I was thinking about doing a little gathering at my house next Saturday. We'll swim and eat some BBQ. And you're invited of course!"

"Alexx! Of course I'm in! It'll be so fun!" Hayley walked around the table and gave the woman a hug. "It's so nice of you to invite me."

Alexx hugged the girl back. "I would never forget you, angel. By the way, how are you doing? You've been in Miami for what, 3 months? How are you fitting in?"

Hayley, back on her side of the table, sighed and shrugged. "Alright I guess. I mean, the job here is awesome; I love the team and everything. It's just outside of work; I don't have a lot of friends. I went out with Maxine a couple of times, but that's about it. I thought _I_ was a nut case…"

Alexx nodded her head knowingly, "What about your mother? Is she going to come visit you at some point?"

Hayley grimaced, "No way, I don't want her to visit so soon. She calls me about twice a day, it's enough for now. No, I miss my friends. My band. We text each other all the time, but it's not the same."

That grabbed Alexx's curiosity. "Your _band_? Why girl, do you have talents you haven't told me about?"

Hayley laughed and shrugged. "I guess. In college, I was in a band with 3 guys. I was the singer. It was awesome."

"Well baby, you'll have to show us what you can do next Saturday, I'm sure you have a very nice voice."

Hayley smiled and looked down, shy. "Yeah okay… I'll bring my guitar."

Alexx put her hand on her hip and pointed her menacing tool at her. "Is there anything else I should know about before we continue?"

XXXXXX

Saturday finally came and everyone seemed pretty excited about the BBQ. The sun was exquisite and the pool would be even better.

After Ryan parked his car behind Delko's, he grabbed his bag from the back seat and came out of the car. As he started getting closer to Alexx's house, he could hear water splashing and someone screaming like a mad woman. 'Hayley' he thought, grinning. He shook his head. She was the only one who could have such a loud mouth and not care about it.

He made his way around the house and laughed when he saw what all the screaming was about. Everyone seemed to be there. Alexx was busy preparing food and offering drinks to everyone. Calleigh and Natalia were sitting on long chairs, roasting under the sun. Horatio (Is H wearing shorts?) was sitting at the table, watching the scene, a happy grin on his face. Everyone else was in the pool, which was what had made Ryan laugh.

Frank and Kyle were standing in the water, with Valera sitting on the bigger man's shoulders and Hayley on Kyle's. The girls were wrestling, holding each other's hands, and Hayley was screaming because clearly, she wasn't about to win. Poor Kyle was no match for Frank's strength.

"Ryan, baby, you finally made it!"

Ryan turned and was greeted with a hug from Alexx. "Sorry I'm late." He pointed at the scene, "I can see that this afternoon is a success!"

Alexx smiled, "Yeah, they've been at it for a while now. And let me tell you, Horatio's boy hasn't left Hayley's side once. When she wants a drink, he wants one. When she wants to see who can hold their breath the longest, he's the first one in. I'm sure he would follow her in the bathroom if she let him." She laughed at the visual and shook her head. "My baby girl has got a lot of energy! I don't know if Kyle will survive the day!"

Just then, they heard a loud scream and a huge crash of water. Valera, still on Frank's shoulders, had her arms up in victory, while Kyle and Hayley's head resurfaced from under the water.

Kyle was really red and looked about to pass out from exhaustion. "I think I'll take a break from the pool." Valera followed him out and waved at Ryan. "Hi! You're here! Go put your trunks on! The water's great!"

"I will!" He looked back at the pool. "Do you think it's safe, Frank? Or I'm I going to get attacked by the screaming hyena in there?"

Frank laughed and shrugged. "Hey man, you got to take your chances"

"Hey, I'm not that bad!" Hayley pouted and turned around, throwing water at the tall man's face. Frank never saw it coming and started coughing water out of his… nose.

Ryan laughed and went in the house to change. He had actually bought a new bathing suit for this day. He hadn't gone swimming in a very long time. When he came back out, he was greeted by the site of an extremely tall Hayley, who was standing up on Frank's shoulders. She looked great. Her bikini was bright yellow with black and white stripes. Her hair was a mess, plastered to her head, but Ryan couldn't help but think she looked sexy.

Before he could do anything, Eric grabbed him from behind, picked him up from the ground and threw him in the pool. The movement made Frank lose his balance and he lost his grip on Hayley's ankles, who dove in the water. Unfortunately, she fell right on Ryan. When they came up for air, Hayley's eyes were tightly shut and she was grimacing.

Ryan, who was right in front of her, saw it instantly. "Hayley are you ok?"

"It hurts!!!" she whimpered.

"What? Where?!!" he was panicking.

It's only when he was struggling to pull her out of the pool that he realized nobody had reacted. He looked down at the girl he was holding. She was grimacing, but clearly not from pain. She was trying to keep from laughing.

Ryan laughed bitterly and threw Hayley back in the water. When she came back up, she had a huge grin on her face.

Everybody else started laughing too as Frank leaned against the side of the pool. "She did the same thing when you weren't there. Got us pretty good too!"

Ryan smirked. "Alright, I guess I deserved…" Hayley spurted water out of her mouth, right in his face.

Ryan gaped at her. "You _spit_ in my face."

It was Hayley's turn to gap. "What?!? You're afraid of a little water? Take it like a man, Wolfe."

She tried to swim away from him but he was too fast for her. He caught her by the ankle and pulled her back towards him, grabbed her by the waist and forced her down under water. He held her there for a few seconds and then let her go. She came back up, coughing and laughing.

For the next few hours, Ryan and the whole team had a great time. They drank fruity drinks, played in the pool (or got attacked in the pool) and chatted. Everyone laughed when Hayley started calling Horatio 'dad', because of their hair color… making Kyle grimace every time. Nobody even thought about work once.

After a few hours, they all finally came out of the pool. They ate BBQ and chatted even more. Ryan couldn't help feeling a little bothered by the puppy dog eyes Kyle was sending Hayley all the time. He kept following her around, which was pretty annoying. He knew the kid had a crush on her… hell who wouldn't. 'Wait, where did that come from…' Ryan shook his head and put what was left of his hamburger in his mouth. 'She's not my type' he reminded himself.

After supper, they all changed in warmer clothes since they were all going to sit around a fire. Hayley wore a large lime green hoodie and blue jeans. She only wore a large pair of ugly grey socks on her feet, since she had forgotten to bring her shoes. She looked even younger in her very large clothes. 'She's so cute.' Ryan thought.

"Hey guys, Hayley has a surprise for us." Alexx started, as they all sat around the fire. "My baby girl here promised she would sing for us tonight, right Hayley?"

Everyone looked at Hayley, whose cheeks turned bright red instantly. "Ahh Alexx, I don't know…"

Ryan snorted, "Come on Hayley, are we making you shy all of a sudden?"

Hayley sent him one of her 'just shut up' looks and stood up. "No way! Give me just a second to get prepared." She ran in the house and everyone waited quietly, watching the flames. When she came back out, she was holding a black acoustic guitar, which was covered with stickers from different punk rock bands.

"Here, it's going to sound a lot better this way." She sat back down on her chair, crossed one of her legs over the other and grabbed her guitar. "Any suggestions?"

Calleigh was the first person to speak. "Why don't you start with something soft?"

Hayley smiled. "Alright." She took a second to think and then, started scratching her guitar. The moment she started singing, everyone's eyes grew wider. She had one hell of a voice! Not the cheesy little girly voice you would have thought would come from such a small girl. Her voice was strong, a little raspy at some points, but still very feminine.

As he listened to Hayley singing one request after the other, Ryan couldn't help but stare at her face. She was breathtaking. When she sang, her whole face would light up. Most of the time, she kept her eyes shut and smiled as if she was somewhere else.

They ate marshmallows (Hayley always burnt hers and gave them to Ryan, since she had _decided_ he liked them better that way…) and watched the fire. A little after eleven, everyone started packing their things. They all hugged Alexx, thanked her for inviting them, and said they would all see each other at work the next day.

Ryan gave Hayley a hand with her bags and guitar. He followed her to her little red car and put what he was carrying in her trunk. "I guess I'll see you at the lab."

Hayley smiled. "You will!" She opened her door and climbed in. She sent him one last huge smile through the window, started her car and drove off.

Ryan sighed and rubbed his left eyebrow. 'Something's definitely wrong with you, man.'


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note: **Hey guys! I've been working on trying to include Hayley's dad in my story… and I'm so not feeling it. So I guess the dad idea is dead. BUT there's still a whole lot to come!

**Again, thank you SO MUCH for the reviews!!! I really ****REALLY**** appreciate it!!!**

**Chapter 5: Angry Texting and Lavender Walls **

The next day, Ryan came into work at one in the afternoon. H had given him the morning off, since he had been pulling so many additional hours. Whistling, he was making his way towards Valera's lab when he spotted Hayley. She was leaning against one of the glass walls, texting on her phone. The frown on her face told him she wasn't in a good mood.

She was wearing a soft pink t-shirt that said "_Kiss me, I don't smoke"_ on the front, a flashy green scarf and dark blue jeans. Ryan lifted his eyebrows. These clothes could only work on a girl like Hayley. Smiling, he walked up to her and leaned against the glass wall, next to her.

"I'd kiss you, but that would make people talk too much."

She grinned and finished texting aggressively. She then sighed as she shut her phone and turned her head towards him. "I wouldn't let you anyway."

He chuckled, looked down and pointed at the object in her hand. "Who were you attacking through your phone?"

Hayley looked down and sighed. "My mother." She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Can you believe it? We even fight when we're _texting_."

Ryan laughed. "What were you fighting about?"

"Her paintings." She laughed at his puzzled look. "My mom is a painter. And since I've been away, she's been painting like crazy. And now, she doesn't know what to do with them, so she wants to send them out to me."

He shrugged. "I still can't see what the problem is."

Hayley's voice lowered. "That's because you've never seen her paintings."

Ryan laughed and straightened up. Hayley imitated him and started walking down the hall with him. "Hey! Hayley!" They both turned around and saw Eric jogging towards them. "I'm ready, so if you want to go…"

Ryan's eyebrows shot up. "What, your day's over? But I just got here!"

Hayley smirked at him. "You had the morning off… we have the afternoon."

"Yeah Wolfe, you're not the only one who's been working double shifts."

Ryan shoved his hands in his pockets and cocked his head to the side. "And you're spending it together?"

"Eric here offered to help me paint my apartment. The previous owner seemed to have a passion for lavender." She grimaced.

'Delko's going to her apartment…' He shook his head and laughed. "People DO have weird tastes some times." He pointed at her attire.

"Don't listen to him Hayley, you look awesome." Eric took her defense. 'Always the super hero…' Ryan thought.

Hayley looked up at the taller man and flashed him a huge smile. "Why thank you, Eric."

'I think you look incredible.' Ryan nodded at them and turned. "Well have fun! Call me if you need any help tonight."

Eric laughed out loud. "And get your nice suit all dirty? We wouldn't dare!"

Walking away, Ryan looked down and laughed under his breath, shaking his head. 'Damn Delko and his big mouth.'

XXXXX

Ryan had just sat behind the wheel when his phone rang. "Hello, this is Wolfe." He heard giggling coming from the other side of the line and grinned. "Hi, Hayley."

"Hi! What are you doing?" She almost sounded excited to talk to him.

"I'm doing great, thank you for asking."

She laughed. "You didn't answer my question."

Ryan shook his head but kept smiling. "I was getting ready to drive back home. Why?"

"Well, since you offered, I'd actually need some help with the paint job at my apartment. Are you still in?"

"Yeah sure! I'd be glad to help you out." He paused. "And where did Mr. Tall-dark-and-annoying go?"

She laughed at his comment. "He got a call from someone important and said he needed to go."

"Right." Ryan smirked. 'That someone important probably had huge boobs.' He looked at the time. "It's almost six. Tell you what, I'm gonna go by my place and get changed. And then I'll go pick up something to eat and go to your place. Is that alright?" he started the car and drove out of the parking lot, heading towards his apartment.

"Sure! Hey, could you grab something for me too? I haven't had anything to eat yet and I don't really feel like cooking."

Ryan grinned. "No problem." Hayley gave him her address and he quickly went home to change.

XXXXX

"Hello? Hayley? Can I come in?" Ryan had knocked at the door but nobody answered it. Loud punk rock music was coming from inside the apartment. Deciding she wouldn't mind if he let himself in, he opened the door and made his way to the kitchen. He set the food on the table and followed the music, which brought him to her bedroom. He peaked inside and grinned as he finally spotted Hayley. She was putting the finishing touches on her dark blue walls. She never noticed Ryan at the door as she danced and sang to the music. She was barefoot and her baggy jeans and green tank top were a complete disaster. Even if her hair was tied in a high pony tail, she hadn't been able to protect it from the paint.

Smiling, he walked to her stereo and turned the music off.

Hayley stopped dancing and turned around, surprised. "Ryan! Sorry, I didn't hear you come in!" She set her tools down and wiped her hands on her tank top.

Ryan grinned and pointed at the stereo. "No kidding! With that music, a plane could crash in your living room and you wouldn't hear anything!"

Hayley shrugged. "Nah. If a plane crashed in my apartment, I would probably die without even realizing it. Which is, by the way, the greatest way to die!" They laughed together as they walked out of the room. "So are you going to feed me or what?"

Ryan pointed at the bags on the table. "It's all in there. I got you a shrimp salad. I hope it's okay."

Her face fell. "I'm deadly allergic to seafood." Seeing the look on his face, she laughed and grabbed a bag. "It's just too easy! I love shrimp salad!"

They sat together and ate their food quickly. Ryan noticed the weird lavender still covering the walls in the living room and the kitchen. Hayley saw him looking and swallowed her bite. "Eric and I covered the bathroom and I just finished putting the second coat in the bedroom. We started painting later than I expected since we had to go buy everything." She pointed at her walls. "If we can't finish it all tonight, I'll do it tomorrow. No big deal."

"Let's not waste any time then!" They stood, put the empty bags in the garbage and got ready for work. Hayley brought her stereo in the living room and turned it on again, but lowered the volume so they could talk without shouting at each other.

She had opted for a bright blue color for the living room and flashy green for the kitchen. Hayley never noticed him cringe when he saw the colors. "I'm glad it's not MY apartment." Hayley pulled her tongue at him and gave him a brush. "Stop criticizing my tastes and start working."

They started with the small kitchen and were done pretty quickly. Even if she wasn't alone anymore, Hayley kept dancing and singing to the music, which was enjoyable since she sang extremely well... and looked really hot in her dirty clothes. As they worked, they chatted about a lot of things. Ryan told her about his family, his college years, his time as a patrol officer. He even talked about his beginnings as a CSI. Hayley spent a lot of time talking about her band and music.

At one point, she made him turn towards her and before he realized what she had planned, she was drawing a huge blue happy face on his white t-shirt. There really wasn't any point into doing the same thing to her, since she was already covered with paint.

Ryan hadn't had that much fun since… the Saturday they had gone at Alexx's house. 'Funny how Hayley's always there when I'm having a blast lately.' He thought.

It's only when they finally finished the second coat in the living room that Ryan noticed the time. "Wow! It's past midnight!"

Hayley's eyes grew wide. "I'm so sorry Ryan; I shouldn't have kept you here so long!"

He went to the kitchen to wash his hands. "Don't worry about it. I'm glad we finished it together. This way, you won't have to do it alone." He looked up at her and smiled. She smiled back at him and looked down. 'Is she blushing???'

"I'll have to repay you…"

Ryan shook his head and sent her a look. "No way. I'm glad I could help. And I actually had a lot of fun doing it." Grinning, he wiped his hands and grabbed his keys. "I guess I'll get going then. We still have to go to work in the morning."

Hayley nodded and followed him to her door. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow. And if we're not too busy, I'll buy you lunch. How about that?" Ryan was about to reply when she put her small (and blue) hand on his arm. "Please. At least let me do that. I would feel a whole lot better."

Ryan grinned and nodded. "Fine. Bye."

"Bye."

As he walked down to his car, Ryan realized he wasn't tired at all. Hayley's energy had probably rubbed on him. And he loved the feeling.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's note: **Hey guys! Again, I loooove getting reviews!!!! I've decided this story would have 18 chapters... so you still got a lot of reading to do!!! I'm really enjoying this fanfic writing thing!

**Chapter 6: Sexy Waitresses and Way Too Many Drinks**

"Ryan, have you found anything useful in the bag from the vic's house?"

Ryan looked up from the large pile of garbage that was spread all over the table. "Nah, nothing." He let out an irritated sigh. "I really feel like this case is getting colder by the minute. How about you? Anything?"

Eric shook his head, "I found a partial print that might lead us to something. I'll get right on it."

Ryan nodded and looked back down at the table. "Yeah, let me know if you have something."

Eric started walking out of the room but stopped half way and turned around. "By the way, Calleigh, Hayley and I want to go out tonight, if don't leave here too late. We want to get a bite to eat at that new Italian restaurant in town and then maybe hit a club or something. Interested?"

"Sure! It could be fun." And if Hayley was gonna be there, he sure would.

Eric chuckled, "I knew you wouldn't say no."

Ryan frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. "Oh really, and why is that?"

"Ah… no reason." Eric smirked. "Listen, could you go by Calleigh's apartment to pick her up? I told Hayley I would go get her at her place and it's on the opposite side of the city."

Of course, that last information bothered him, but he was able to hide it well. "No prob."

"Great. We'll meet at the restaurant at eight."

Ryan watched Delko leaving the room and sighed, frustrated. Hayley was so not Delko's type.

XXXXX

Calleigh and Ryan were first to get to the restaurant. They followed the hostess as she showed them to their table and sat. They both ordered their first drink, waiting for their two companions to join them.

As they waited, Ryan couldn't help but notice how good Calleigh looked. "You really look gorgeous tonight Cal."

She gave him one of her brightest smiles and patted his hand. "Thanks babe. It's not often I get to hit the clubs." She took a sip from her drink and pointed at him. "You don't look half bad yourself mister. Is there a reason why you cleaned up so nice tonight?"

Ryan couldn't keep from blushing a little. "Hey, you never know, I might be able to get a real date tonight." Actually, he had spent about half an hour going through his closet, trying to find the perfect attire. He had finally chosen a pair of blue jeans that he knew fit him really nicely and a dark blue shirt with a white t-shirt underneath. He knew this wasn't a date… it was just four friends, going out to have fun as _friends_. 'Everybody wants to look good when they go out, right?'

Calleigh gave him a knowing look and was about to add something when she spotted Eric and Hayley making their way in the restaurant. "Hey guys, over here!"

Eric smiled and took Hayley's hand, leading her to their table. Ryan noticed the contact and couldn't keep himself from feeling a little jealous. Again, Hayley looked absolutely gorgeous. She was wearing tight white pants and a black top which sparkled when the lights hit it. Her hair was down, except for her bangs which were tied high up on her head. Ryan smiled and waved back at them.

"Hi guys! Sorry we're late, Hayley here really took her sweet time getting prepared."

Hayley gasped and hit Eric on the arm. "That's so not true; you got to my place late." She sat on the chair next to Ryan's and gave him a large smile.

Ryan choked on his drink when he noticed Hayley's back was completely bare. He coughed to hide his surprise and grabbed a menu. "Man, I'm starved."

They all agreed, went through the menu and gave their order. As usual, Eric gave the cute waitress one of his sexy smiles. He knew most girls found it irresistible. The waitress smiled back at him and took the menus from their hands. She winked at the tall man and left their table, her hips swaying from side to side in an unnatural matter.

"Oh. My. God. What the hell was that?" Hayley asked, looking at Calleigh and Ryan.

Eric took a sip from his drink, quite proud of himself. "That, my friend, was Eric Delko, working his magic on the ladies."

Calleigh rolled her eyes as Ryan grinned and leaned back on his chair. "Delko is going to steal them all away from me."

Hayley snorted, "That is SUCH a turn off." She changed her voice and repeated Eric's comment, "'I'm working my magic on the ladies.' Come on, girls actually fall for that?"

Calleigh grinned, "Not to take his defense and all, but I've seen it work more than once."

Hayley shook her head, "No way, girls can be so stupid sometimes." She looked at Ryan who was smiling, happy that someone could finally see through Delko's game, and slapped his arm."And you, you're not better than he is."

He lifted his eyebrows, surprised. "What did I do? I just said he was lucky to get all that attention so easily."

Hayley snorted. "When girls go out, they just want to have fun, dance and drink. When guys go out, they only think about getting laid."

Ryan lifted his hands in surrender. "Hey, all guys are not like that. Do you really think men only want sex?"

Hayley lifted her eyebrows and smirked. "No. They also want chips, beer and more sex."

Calleigh laughed at the last comment and lifted her drink towards Hayley. "I couldn't have said it better babe." Hayley picked up her own drink and touched it to Calleigh's.

Their food finally arrived, which made them stop their friendly bantering. The group couldn't keep from smiling as the waitress served everyone and finished with Eric's plate, laying a hand on his shoulder and bending down a lot more than she had to. "If you need anything else, please let me know. My name is Roxanne." They all smiled and thanked her before she left. As soon as she was gone, even the boys couldn't keep from laughing.

XXXXXX

The club was crowded and the music loud when the group finally made it there. It wasn't really Ryan or Calleigh's type of place to hang out, but Eric and Hayley seemed to be having a lot of fun, so they went with it. They all had had more than just a few drinks at the restaurant and from the looks of it, their night wasn't over. The first thing they did when they reached the bar was to order another round of drinks.

"I want to dance." Hayley shouted over the loud music. Excited, she grabbed Ryan's hand who had no choice but to follow her on the dance floor. He never noticed if Calleigh and Eric were following them, he only had eyes for the cute woman who was leading him through the crowd. She stopped and turned around, their bodies almost touching as they started moving to the beat.

Dancing wasn't one of Ryan's favorite things to do, but with Hayley, he found himself having a lot of fun. The excessive amount of alcohol he had drunk might have helped, but he didn't care. Hayley was laughing with HIM, dancing with HIM and having a blast with HIM.

At one point, Eric touched his shoulder and told him he and Calleigh were leaving. They just nodded and waved at him, as they continued dancing. More drinks were drunk, more dancing was done, and it's only when the club started closing that they finally decided to leave.

Ryan took Hayley's hand and led her outside. Hayley, who couldn't stop giggling, kept leaning against his side and hugging him, which he quite enjoyed. Ryan found a cab, but, even if he would've really liked it, he chose not to share it with her, since he lived on the opposite side of the city.

"Ry, I had so much fun tonight! Let's do it again tomorrow!"

Ryan laughed and hugged her. "You're a nut case. And I don't think you'll feel up to it tomorrow Hayls."

She pouted, which Ryan found completely adorable, and laid her forehead on his chest. "Spoil sport. Hmmm you smell good."

Ryan blushed but stayed quiet, not knowing how to react.

"Are you getting in or what?" The taxi driver was getting impatient. Ryan nodded and reluctantly pushed Hayley away from his chest. "Are you going to be okay?"

Hayley gave him a large goofy grin and nodded awkwardly. Ryan opened the door for her and just when he turned back towards her, she grabbed him by the collar, pulled him down and crushed her lips against his, kissing him. Shocked, Ryan started to kiss her back but she pulled away from him. Without a word, she went passed him, got in the cab and shut the door. She didn't even look at him when the taxi accelerated, leaving him standing on the sidewalk, eyes and mouth wide open.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Hangovers and Really, REALLY Bad Surprises**

Ryan groaned when he woke up the next morning. He really felt like hell. His head was pounding and his mouth felt disgusting. He got up and went directly to the bathroom, grabbed some aspirin and drank a tall glass of water. He undressed and went in the shower, letting the hot water wash away the remaining of his headache.

'Hayley kissed me last night'. Ryan's eyes shot open as the memories from the previous night started coming back to his mind. He had spent the whole night dancing and laughing with Hayley, and then, she had kissed him. And he… had done nothing. NOTHING.

Ryan whimpered and directed the spray right at his face. She was drunk. Completely out of it. She probably wouldn't remember a thing anyway.

Still feeling like crap, he got out of the shower, toweled himself dry and walked to his closet to get dressed. One thing was certain; he had to get to work. He was already late, but wasn't really nervous about it. If something important had come up, H would have called him.

Deciding he would grab an extra-large coffee on his way to work, he grabbed his keys, but then remembered he didn't have a car. He had left it at the restaurant the night before. Ryan sighed and took his phone to call a cab. This was going to be a long day.

XXXXX

When Ryan finally made it to work, it was almost ten. He slowly walked in the elevator which would take him up to the lab. Sighing, he closed his eyes and rubbed his hands over his face, trying to rub away his tiredness.

"Well well, don't we look like crap this morning." Ryan's heart skipped a beat as he looked down to see Hayley standing next to him. Even if she was looking down at the floor, he could see she looked extremely tired. She was wearing jeans and a black shirt, and her face seemed whiter than usual.

"You don't really look a whole lot better." He murmured. He was lying. Even with dark bags under her eyes and all of her hair pulled back in a tight pony tail, he thought she looked great.

Awkward silence surrounded them as they waited for the elevator to take them to their floor. Ryan didn't know if she remembered what had happened the previous night. And he wasn't the one who was going to say anything about it. What was there to say anyway? 'Hey, I really enjoyed last night. By the way, could we repeat that kiss again? I'm not sure if you remember it or not.'

Not a good idea. 'Maybe she kisses all of her friends on the mouth…' he thought.

The doors finally opened and they walked out in silence. Without even saying bye, Hayley quickly disappeared, her eyes never leaving the floor.

He watched her walking away and turned in the other direction, making his way towards the locker room. "Hey Wolfe! I almost gave up on you showing up for work today." Ryan grimaced and turned to face a smug looking Eric Delko. "So, how did your night go?"

Ryan shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest. "Great. And before you ask, I went back home and went to bed. That's it."

Eric lifted one of his eyebrows. "And you got here so late? I don't believe you. I just happen to know Hayley isn't here yet."

"Actually, we came in at the same time."

"Ah AH! I knew it!" Eric leaned his head towards Ryan and whispered. "Please tell me you got lucky last night. You and Hayley were all over each other…"

Ryan shook his head. "Sorry to disappoint you, but nothing happened. Hayley's just a friend, I'm not interested, and she's not my type."

"Wow, three excuses in one sentence. You must REALLY like her." Eric grinned.

Ryan rolled his eyes and started walking down the hall.

"By the way, you really look horrible today, Wolfe."

"Just shut up". He murmured, wishing he had thought of something better than that to shut Delko's big mouth. 'I'm never going out on a week day ever again…'

XXXXX

The day seemed like it would never reach its end, so Ryan thanked God when it was finally time for him to go home. At least there hadn't been anything big for him to work on, so he had spent the day catching up on some paperwork, fighting to stay awake.

He didn't see Hayley all day, even when he had gone to talk to Alexx at the morgue. When he had asked her how they were all doing, Alexx had lifted an eyebrow and poked her finger in his chest.

"_What have you guys done to my baby girl, huh? She's so quiet. It's like I don't have my little ray of sunshine with me today."_

_Ryan turned his head away from the dark woman and cringed. "I don't know what happened Alexx. Maybe she's just hung over. She DID drink a lot last night. I know I feel like crap today. And she probably feels worse than I do."_

_Alexx frowned and turned back to her work as Ryan started walking to the exit._

"_You be careful with my angel… she may look fierce, but inside, she's extremely sensitive."_

Ryan rubbed his face tiredly and made his way outside. He didn't know why Alexx had told him to be careful… it's not as if he had done anything wrong. Sighing, he climbed in his car and started the engine. 'I just need a good, long night sleep.'

XXXXX

Ryan woke up the next day feeling a whole lot better. He completed his morning routine and left his apartment. Whistling, he went to grab his morning coffee at his favorite coffee place, smiled at the young blonde behind the counter and made his way to work. It was a slow day, so when H caught him at the lab and asked him to get to a new crime scene, he jumped right to it.

He reached the crime scene about twenty minutes later, ready to finally have something to focus his mind on. He got out of the hummer and nodded at the officer as he walked under the tape. A man, probably the vic's husband, was standing outside, talking with Frank. Ryan walked inside the quiet house, made his way towards the kitchen and stopped when he saw that Hayley was the one examining the body. She was wearing a tight white t-shirt, black bermuda shorts and little black boots.

Hayley looked up when she heard someone coming towards her but quickly looked back down at the body when she recognized him. 'Great' Ryan thought. 'Back to square one'. He stood next to her, looking at the body. "Hayley. What do we have here?"

"This is Alisha Morris, 32 years old. She was found early this morning by her husband. She was stabbed numerous times in the abdomen. She bled to death." Ryan cringed.

Hayley continued, never looking at him. "If you want to start looking around, I'm going to finish with her here before I take her back to the lab for the autopsy."

"No prob."Ryan gave her one last look and walked out of the kitchen, sighing. He put his kit down at the entrance of the living room and started checking for anything that could be evidence. The house was very quiet, the only sounds coming from outside. He was concentrating on the carpet when he heard a whimper coming from the kitchen.

Ryan frowned. "You alright Hayley?" Getting no answer, he left the living room and made his way back in the kitchen. He stopped abruptly and reached for his weapon when he realized what was happening.

"You make a move and she dies, you heard me?" The man whispered menacingly. He was holding Hayley tightly against him, one arm around her neck and the other holding a knife to her cheek. Hayley was holding onto the arm around her neck, trying to keep herself from choking.

Ryan's heart stopped when he saw the terrified look in her eyes. "Let her go, you don't want to hurt someone else."

The suspect snorted. "What I want is to get out of here. So you'll let me walk out, and you won't follow me." The attacker looked down at Hayley and caressed her cheek with the knife. "If you do, this pretty little thing here will end up with a lot more holes in her body."

Hayley whimpered as Ryan's face stayed cold. "Let her go."

"Well, let me out. If you follow me, she's dead." He nodded his head and the man started backing out of the kitchen, pulling a terrified Hayley with him. Ryan didn't move. The moment they left the house, he grabbed his cell phone, called for back up and ran after them.

Outside, he saw Hayley who was down on the ground, the man quickly disappearing through the woods behind the house. 'Where are these stupid officers when we need them?' Ryan ran to Hayley, crouched down next to her and put his hand on her shoulder. They were quickly joined by Frank and some officers.

"The house wasn't cleared, Frank. The attacker was still hiding in the kitchen."

"Where is he now?"

Ryan pointed towards where he had last seen the man. "He got away."

He let Frank take care of the suspect and focused his attention on Hayley, who still hadn't said a word. He gasped when he noticed the front of her white t-shirt was covered with blood. "Oh God, Hayley!"

He quickly realized the blood was coming from her arm, where a long gash had been made. "Hayley? Are you okay?" Ryan took her arm, trying to get a better look at her wound.

Hayley looked up at him, "I'm fine." She was whispering. "Just a small cut."

Sirens could be heard coming closer. "No you're not fine. We need to take care of that arm. Come on." Ryan tried to help her up, but her legs didn't seem strong enough to hold her weight. Without a second thought, Ryan picked her up in his arms, careful not to touch her wounded arm, and carried her around the house to the ambulance. The medics guided him to the back of the vehicle and told him to set her down on the step.

Ryan folded his hands on top of his head and watched nervously as one of the medics took care of her arm. Hayley never said a word, just kept looking at it. He knew she hadn't lost a lot of blood, but he was still freaked out. She was NEVER this quiet.

"We're going to take her to the hospital; she needs to get stitches on that arm." The medic helped Hayley stand shakily so she could sit inside the ambulance.

Ryan nodded , "Yeah, okay, I'll just wait for the others to arrive and then, I'll meet you there. Alright? Hayley? Did you hear me?"

Hayley lifted her dark brown eyes and nodded at him, but still didn't say a word.

"Okay." Ryan helped them shut the back doors and watched the vehicle drive away. He then turned around and walked back inside the house. 'What's taking them so long?' He thought, as he went back to get his kit.


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you all for your reviews!!! ^_^

Meatball42: You are so funny!!! THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS!!!!!!

**Chapter 8: Scratches, kittens and Sleepovers.**

Ryan finally walked inside the hospital a lot later than he had expected. Following the directions a nurse had given him at the front desk, he quickly reached the waiting room where he found Hayley, sitting alone on one of the ugly green chairs. She was looking down at her hands and her right arm was bandaged. She had changed out of her clothes into some white scrubs, which were about three sizes too large for her little body.

Ryan couldn't help noticing how young she looked as he walked up to her and crouched down so that he could get a good look at her face. "Hey, Hayley."

Her eyes met his and a little smile reached her lips. "Hey."

Ryan smiled back at her, happy to see some color had come back to her face. "How are you feeling?"

She shrugged. "I'm alright. A little shaken, but it'll pass." She lifted her arm. "Like I said, just a scratch."

Ryan snorted. "Yeah, a scratch that needed stitches. Are you ready to go home?"

Hayley looked down at herself and nodded. "Yeah. Calleigh came by earlier. She processed me and took my clothes."

Ryan nodded, stood and offered her his hand, which she took. She let him lead her out of the hospital and to the car silently. When they reached the car, she stopped walking abruptly and turned to look at him. "Ryan, could I go with you, to your place?"

Ryan gaped at her. "Why? I mean… you ARE okay, right?"

Hayley looked down at the ground and shrugged. When she looked back up, Ryan could see the shadow of the fear he had seen in her dark eyes earlier. "Yeah. My arm is okay. But I'm just… nervous. I don't want to be alone. I won't bother you at all, I'll sleep on your couch, and you'll never even know I'm there, I…"

Ryan stopped her by putting his free hand on her cheek. "Hey, Hayley, stop. It's okay, if you want to come home with me, it's fine." He took his hand away from her face and turned to open the door for her. "We'll just stop by your place to grab some clothes and then, I'll take you to my place."

Hayley nodded and gave him a small smile before she climbed in the car. Ryan shut her door and walked around to the driver's side.

The ride to her apartment was made in silence. Hayley's hands were on her lap and she kept staring outside, her deep brown eyes not really looking at anything. Ryan felt like he needed to say something, anything, but didn't know what. So he kept his attention on the road. When they finally reached her apartment, he followed her inside and waited in the small living room as she went in her bedroom to get what she needed.

Looking around, he was pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness of the place. Of course, the colors he had helped her put on the walls were way too eccentric for his tastes, but it still all fit with Hayley's personality. She had hung huge colorful paintings on the walls, which were probably her mom's creations, and with her bright red couch and white carpet, she had _almost_ succeeded in making it look good.

As Hayley packed her things, Ryan called Horatio, asking for news about the suspect and the case. He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out an irritated sighed when Horatio told him they hadn't found the suspect yet, but kept quiet, not wanting Hayley to hear the news.

"Alright, I think I have everything." Ryan turned around and saw Hayley standing outside her bedroom, holding a yellow backpack. She had changed into comfortable looking jeans and a large grey hoodie. Ryan nodded and quickly ended his conversation with Horatio. He then put his phone back in his pocket, walked up to Hayley and took the bag out of her hands. "Let's go then."

It took about twenty minutes to get to Ryan's apartment. He was feeling a little nervous when he unlocked the door and finally made it inside. Because of his OCD, she would probably think he was a neat freak. The place was spotless; everything was at its proper place. It was almost difficult to believe that someone was living here. He glanced at Hayley's face as she quietly looked around, the ghost of a smile on her lips.

"Maybe you should call your mom… or your friends. Tell them what happened."

Hayley shook her head. "I don't really want them to know. My mom's gonna go crazy. My friends are going to panic." She sighed and turned to look at him with her tired eyes, finally giving him a real smile. Small, but real. "And right now, I'm happy just being here."

She turned around, but not fast enough for him not to notice the blush that had appeared on her cheeks. "Would it be okay if I took a shower?"

"Sure, no problem. And while you're in there, I'll prepare supper ok?" he walked in his extremely clean kitchen and looked inside his refrigerator. "I haven't had time to get anything from the grocery store. Is spaghetti okay?"

Hayley nodded, "Sure, it's great." Ryan showed her his bathroom and gave her a towel. "Take your time, there's no rush." He left her as she shut the door behind him. He went to his bedroom and as he took off his blue shirt, he finally noticed there were some dark spots on it. Hayley's blood. He grimaced, brought it to the kitchen and threw it in the garbage. He would never wear it again.

Leaning against the counter, he finally took a long, deep breath. Hayley, even in her exhausted state, was making him very nervous. He would never take advantage of her, but he felt the urge to take her in his arms and hold her, protect her. Having fun with Hayley was easy… he just didn't know how to deal with her in this state. Shaking his head, he sighed and started taking out what he needed to get supper ready.

Twenty minutes later, he finally heard her walk out of the bathroom. "Hey Hayley, the food is about done. You can sit at the table if you like." He turned around and saw her, standing next to the table. Her hair was still wet from her shower and she was wearing a little white tank and large blue pajama pants. "Are those… cats… on your pants?" he smirked.

Hayley gave him a small smile, looking down at herself. "Do you have something against kittens, Ryan?"

He laughed and shook his head. "No. It's actually… adorable." He prepared the plates and brought them on the table. "Now sit and eat. You haven't had anything in your stomach since this morning."

Hayley quietly sat next to him and Ryan dug in, starved. She only took small bites out of her food, but he was still satisfied; at least she was eating something. The meal was eaten in silence, the only sounds coming from the television in the living room.

After supper, Ryan made Hayley sit on his couch and watch TV as he washed the dishes. Then, when he was satisfied with it, he decided to grab a short shower too.

Feeling fresh from his shower, Ryan got dressed in a t-shirt and sweats and made his way back in his living room. Hayley was curled up on the couch, her feet under her. She was watching what seemed to be an episode of… Sponge Bob? 'Didn't she say she was 26?'

She turned her head to look at him and smiled as he sat down next to her.

Ryan smiled back at her "Feeling better?"

She nodded, "Yeah. Thanks again. I really didn't want to be alone tonight."

"Hey it's fine. By the way, Horatio said you could take a couple of days off to rest. I think it would be a very good idea."

Hayley shrugged her shoulders, "But I'm fine."

Ryan shook his head and sighed. "Hayls, you were attacked today. Someone held a knife at your throat. Sure, you just got a cut on your arm, but it's got to be a traumatizing for you."

The redhead gazed into his eyes for a few seconds, and then nodded. "I wouldn't be here if I wasn't scared. But I could still work tomorrow."

Ryan grinned and shook his head. "But you won't. Tell you what. Tomorrow is my day off. We'll spend the day together, relax, watch movies. Wouldn't that be better than work?" He cocked his head to the side and lifted his eyebrows, waiting for her answer. 'Sayyessayyessayyessayy…'

She looked down and chuckled. "Okay."

Ryan nodded and stole the remote from her hands. "There's no way I'm watching this crap."

Hayley gasped and frowned at him. "Never insult Sponge Bob. NEVER."

XXXXX

They spent the rest of the evening on the couch together, watching an old movie that was on. At one point, Hayley moved on the couch and cuddled against his side. Smiling, Ryan wrapped his arm around her small shoulders and held her close to him. It just felt right. And she had a little smile on her face, which made him happy.

Wasn't long before Ryan realized Hayley had fallen asleep. Looking down at her, he saw her hair had fallen over her eyes. With his fingers, he softly brushed it away and caressed her cheek. She was adorable. So beautiful. He took his hand away and let out a long breath. 'Stop it pal. This is _so_ not the right moment.'

He looked at the time and realized it was only a little past nine. It wasn't late, but he felt tired; it really had been a long day. Careful not to wake her, he turned off the television and gently moved her to lie her down on the couch. He went in his bedroom, got a pillow and a blanket from his closet and came back to cover her with it. He lifted her head gently and slid the pillow under it. She stirred but didn't wake up. Satisfied, he turned the lights off and went to his bedroom.

Ryan undressed down to his boxer shorts, brushed his teeth and climbed in his bed. He felt exhausted, but sleep just wouldn't come. His brain wouldn't stop thinking. He could still see Hayley's terrified brown eyes looking at him. He could still feel the way his heart had almost stopped beating when he had seen the blood on her clothes. And, most of all, he could still feel her weight on his chest as she used him as a pillow. Sighing, he took his pillow from under his head and pressed it over his face.

"Ryan?" he barely heard his name being whispered. He pushed the pillow aside, raised his head and saw Hayley standing by the door.

"Hayley? What's wrong? Do you need anything?"

He couldn't see her face very well. "I… would it be okay if I slept with you?"

Ryan gulped and opened his mouth. There was something in her voice that made his heart melt. He patted the space next to him. "Yeah, come here." Hayley made her way around the bed and climbed under the covers. She kept her back turned to him, clearly not wanting to take too much of his personal space.

Ryan sighed and stared up at the ceiling. 'What the hell…' He looked back at the small form lying next to him and made his decision. Turning on his side, he scooted closer to her, gently wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her body against his. Settled, he heard her sigh in satisfaction as she put her hand over his and tangled her fingers with his. "Thank you Ryan." He heard her whisper. Ryan smiled and breathed deeply. Her hair smelled like his shampoo mixed with a little something that was definitely Hayley. He closed his eyes and sighed.

Sleep came almost instantly.

* * *

This is definitely starting to feel like I'm writing daytime drama… (shrugs) Oh well!

R&R please!!!!!


	9. Chapter 9

**Reviews are ALWAYS welcomed!!!!!**

**Chapter 9: Lucky Charms, Pop Tarts and Something Even Sweeter.**

When Ryan woke up the next morning, the first thing his brain acknowledged was that there was something heavy lying on his bare chest. He frowned and looked down. 'Hayley.' That's right, they had slept together. 'No, we just slept in the same bed, that's all.' He reminded himself. With a finger, he gently brushed her hair away from her face. Her lips were in a cute pout and her cheeks were red from sleep. She looked beautiful. Smiling to himself, he laid his hand back on the bed and looked at his alarm clock. 'It's been a while since the last time I got that much sleep…'

"Good morning." Ryan gazed back down when he heard Hayley's whispered voice. Her eyes were still closed, but a soft smile was playing on her lips.

"Good morning indeed." He whispered back. She moved off him and laid her head on her pillow, facing him. She slowly opened her eyes and her smile grew as she saw him watching her. "Sleep well?"

Hayley nodded. "You?" Ryan also nodded. She stretched and touched her hair. Feeling its state, she groaned and looked back at him. "I look like crap don't I?"

Ryan chuckled and reached for her hair, trying to straighten it. "Well, I have to say this 80's look is kind of overrated."

"Hey, I'm a rock star, I can handle any hairdo OR don't." She reached for his soft brown hair and brushed her fingers through it. "You, on the other hand, look really cute like this. You should try wearing it like that more often."

Ryan's heart skipped a beat as she touched him. Feeling his cheeks get warmer, he quickly sat up and put his feet on the floor. "Yeah. I think I'll go in the shower. You can stay here, rest some more."

Hayley watched him stand up and walk to the bathroom, clad in only his underwear. 'This man has such a nice butt.' She thought. She groaned and turned on her stomach, hiding her head under his pillow.

That's how Ryan found her when he came back in the bedroom, a towel around his hips. He looked over at the bed but couldn't see her. Grinning, he lifted the covers slightly and saw that she was still in bed, sleeping soundly. Her face was buried in his pillow, her red hair sprawled all over it. He chuckled but didn't wake her and covered her back. He went to his closet, grabbed a fresh pair of boxer shorts, black jeans and his pink t-shirt and left the room to get dressed.

He went to the kitchen and decided to fix breakfast… which consisted of cereal, since it was the only thing he had. He brought the two bowls back in his bedroom and set them on the night stand. He lifted the covers again and gently shook Hayley's shoulder. "Hayls? Wake up sleepy head."

Hayley moaned, stretched and opened her eyes. "I fell asleep again. " She turned to sit, the covers still on her lower half. She looked at what he was offering and grabbed the bowl. "Ryan! You brought me breakfast in bed!"

Ryan chuckled and sat next to her on the bed, grabbing his own bowl. "Don't get too excited, Hayley, it's just cereal."

"Sure, but it's Lucky Charms!" She took a large bite and spoke with her mouth full. "You'll learn Mr. Wolfe, that I'm a really simple girl." She swallowed. "It doesn't take much to make me happy."

Ryan laughed and finished his own cereal. "Alright, you go in the shower and get ready. If you're going to spend the day with me, you'll have to follow me. There's absolutely nothing to eat in this apartment."

Hayley's face fell. "I'm sorry Ryan; I know I'm bothering you."

Ryan grinned. "You're no bother. I'm…" He hesitated. " I'm happy you're here." Hayley blushed and took another bite out of her food. They quickly finished their breakfast and Ryan grabbed her now empty bowl. He pointed at her bandaged arm. "Is it painful?"

Hayley shrugged. "It's not that bad. It's just a pain in the ass to shower with. Talking about a shower, I'll get right to it." She got out of bed. "You do… whatever you need to do." She waved her hand around the bedroom.

Ryan smirked and looked down. She HAD noticed his OCD. But she didn't seem bothered by it. He nodded and she went in the living room, grabbed her bag and went in the bathroom.

He could hear her singing in the shower as he washed their bowls, wiped down the kitchen, arranged his bedroom and folded the blanket that had been left on the couch the previous night. Hayley finally made it out of the bathroom, dressed in the same jeans she had the previous day and a bright yellow and white baseball t-shirt. Her red hair fell just past her shoulders.

She grinned widely. "I'm ready. Now we look like a candy cane if we stand next to each other. Where do you want to go first?"

Ryan, who was staring, shook himself mentally. "Well, I thought we could go grab real food to eat, there's a small diner just down the street that I like. Then, I have to run some errands, buy food. We could also rent a movie or two for tonight. What do you think?"

"Sounds great! Let's go then!" Ryan nodded, got his keys and his cell phone and rested his hand on the small of her back as he opened the front door for Hayley.

XXXXX

"Oh, will you just shut up about it, please?

Ryan laughed as he carried the bags to his kitchen. "Hey, you started it, not me." Hayley, who was following him in the apartment, sat on a stool at the counter. "You've never had to talk to someone like my mom. You wouldn't last more than two seconds."

On their way back towards his apartment, Hayley's mother had called. And two minutes after they had started talking, Hayley was screaming at her and he could hear the older woman yelling on the other side too. They had finally ended the conversation about five minutes later, with Hayley telling her mom that she loved and missed her. When she hung up, Ryan had started laughing at her, not really believing what he had heard.

Ryan laughed again and started unpacking his groceries. "I just don't understand how you can scream at a person one second and then say you love and miss her the next." He turned to look at Hayley's face, who pulled her tongue childishly at him.

"Ry, if someday you get to meet Clarissa Carter, I just hope you'll be intelligent enough to run where she can't find you."

Ryan snorted and went back to emptying the grocery bags. Their day off had gone by pretty quickly. They took their time eating lunch at the diner, they talked, laughed and joked around. Around midday, Ryan had received a phone call from Horatio, who informed him about the case and told him they had found the suspect who had attacked Hayley at the crime scene.

Then, they had gone at the grocery store together where they fought over who would cook supper, and Hayley made him get Pop Tarts and four different brands of cereal. Grocery shopping had taken a lot more time than it usually did when he was alone, but he didn't mind. Then, they had fought over which movies they would rent for the evening and argued over the type of pop corn they wanted to eat.

They had acted like a typical couple… and Ryan enjoyed every second of it.

Hayley watched him quietly as he moved around his kitchen, putting everything in its designated place. She grabbed one of the cereal boxes he had left close to her and opened it. Slowly munching on his Fruit Loops, she smiled when he finally turned and leaned back against the counter. "Done?"

He nodded, grinning back at her. "Yep. And I'm starved."

Hayley smiled and popped another Froot Loop in her mouth. "Me too."

Ryan clapped his hands. "Alright, let's get started then." He took the box from her hands and closed it. "You'll just spoil your appetite."

Hayley rolled her eyes and stood. "Yes _dad_."

Ryan snorted and started taking out what he would need to prepare the food. They had decided that he would cook supper and she would prepare something for dessert.

Hayley disappeared in the living room and when she came back, music could be heard coming from the other room. Ryan knew exactly where everything in his kitchen was, so preparing food with him was very efficient. Usually, having someone in his kitchen, going through his cupboards, would make him nervous. However, having Hayley moving around him in his kitchen seemed… natural. Plus, watching her shake her butt to the music made the experience even more enjoyable.

While he worked on fixing supper, Hayley was preparing her special dessert. He shook his head, 'Women and chocolate…' As he worked, he kept trying to see what she was preparing but she would push him away, laughing. She said she wanted it to be a surprise.

They finally sat at the table, their plates in front of them. "This looks really good Ry!" Grinning at her, he watched as she took a bite out of her meal.

Ryan smiled, quite proud of himself. "I told you I could cook." They chatted through supper, laughing at their personal stories. After they finished their meal, they washed the dishes together, even if Ryan wanted to do it all by himself. Satisfied that Hayley was drying everything 'the right way', they finished everything in record time and were ready for the next part.

"So, I'm ready for this dessert you've been hiding from me all evening. It better be good."

Hayley laughed and went to the refrigerator. She grabbed a large bowl from it and two spoons. "Here it is!" She presented the bowl to Ryan, who made a face. It looked like dark brown goo. "It's not cooked!" Hayley brought her chair closer to Ryan's and grabbed a spoon. "Of course it's not cooked! It's brownie batter." She dug her spoon in the mixture and shoved it in her mouth. "MMMMmmmm it's soooo good."

Ryan grimaced, still not tempted. "Come on Ryan! Try it at least once! I'm telling you, you'll love it." He watched her as she dug her spoon a second time in the bowl and brought it to his lips. "Open up!" But he kept his mouth tightly shut. Hayley pouted and gave him her cutest puppy dog eyes. Unable to resist that look, he opened his mouth and let her put the spoon inside. His eyes went wide when he finally tasted the batter. "Oh my God! This is awesome!" Hayley took her spoon back and put it in her mouth, cleaning it herself before taking another bite."I told you you'd like it. Nobody can resist my world famous brownie batter."

Ryan, now using his own spoon, was clearly enjoying it. "But why not cook it?"

Hayley shook her head. "No way, cooking it ruins the taste."

Together they laughed, shoulders touching, digging in the bowl between them. When they finished the batter (and fought over who would get to lick the bowl), they went in the living room and sat on the couch together, ready to start watching their first movie.

XXXXX

About an hour in the movie, Ryan was having a lot of difficulty following the story line. Actually, he wouldn't be able to tell who the actors were if someone asked him. They had started the movie sitting on each end of the couch but at some point, Hayley had decided that she wanted to use his lap as a pillow, which made it VERY difficult for him to concentrate.

He held his breath and looked down when Hayley, who so far had seemed totally engrossed in the movie, turned her head and looked up at him. She didn't say a thing, just stared up at his face.

He lifted his eyebrows, curious. "What?"

She stayed quiet, her lips slowly curving into a smile.

He smiled back at her and chuckled "What? Hayley?" His smile wavered when she straightened and knelt beside him on the couch, bringing herself to his level. Her eyes left his to look at his mouth. She licked her lips. Ryan couldn't breathe; he could only stare at her as her face inched closer to his. His eyes fluttered closed as her soft lips finally touched his own.

Ryan responded instantly. The kiss started innocent, lips caressing slowly. She nipped at his lower lip, asking for entrance. He opened his mouth and she slipped her tongue inside, fully tasting him. Ryan moaned and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her tightly against him. She moved and straddled his lap, bringing herself even closer. Hayley ran her hands through his brown hair as he slipped his hands under the back of her t-shirt and caressed the skin he found there, which made her moan in his mouth and press against him even harder.

Ryan knew where this was going, and fast. He groaned and forced himself to push her away gently. Eyes still closed, he laid his forehead against hers, breathing hard. "Hayls?"

Hayley raised her head and he opened his eyes to look at her face. Her cheeks were flushed and she was also breathing hard. She didn't need to say anything, her dark brown eyes showing him how much she wanted him. She drew his face to hers again and whimpered as she captured his lips in a bruising kiss.

Ryan groaned again as she started making slow circles with her hips. His hands traveled from her back to her butt, making her moan as he stilled her movements. Holding her tightly against him, he stood from the couch and carried her to his bedroom, her legs wrapped around his waist.

* * *


	10. Chapter 10

So here's chapter 10!! Hope you enjoy it!

R&R please!!!!!

* * *

**Chapter 10: Eventful Nights, Mac and cheese and Weird Reactions.**

Ryan woke up as he felt something shifting next to him. Opening one eye, he looked up to see Hayley, silently leaving his bed. The early morning sun filtered through the blinds at his window, allowing him to see her walking towards the door.

"Where're you goin'?" he murmured, still half asleep. 'Is she leaving?'

Hayley stopped and glanced at him. "Bathroom."

Ryan gave her a little smile and closed his eyes. The images from the previous night went through his head, making him grin. 'Wow' he thought… 'What a night'.

As quietly as she had left, Hayley padded back in the room and slipped back under the covers. Ryan, who was still grinning, turned his head towards her and opened his eyes. She was on her side facing him, staring at his face. "Hi." he whispered, turning on his side. He lifted his hand and gently touched her cheek.

Hayley looked down. "Hi." Her cheeks were tinged with red, which Ryan found adorable. "You have to go to work," she whispered.

Ryan nodded, his hand wandering over her bare side. With a finger, he softly traced the small shooting star tattoo he had discovered on her hip. "You're right." He smiled as her eyes came back to his face. "Will you be there when I come back?"

Hayley smiled back at him, her dark eyes sparkling. "Do you _want_ me to be there when you come back?"

"Honestly, I'd prefer not. You see, I really enjoy coming home to an empty apartment. And my meals taste so much better when they're cooked, and I OW!!! Did you just pinch my nipple?" Laughing, Hayley shrieked when he grabbed her waist and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly against him. "You KNOW I want you to be there."

She hugged him back and buried her face into his neck. "I'd really like to repeat last night." She said, her voice muffled by his skin. Ryan chuckled, kissed her hair and whispered in her ear. "Which part? The first one… the second… or the third?" He heard a muffled snort and felt her move against him. "OW!!! Will you stop that?"

Hayley laughed and untangled herself from his hold. "Your head is big enough already, hot stuff." She gave him a cute smile and nodded. "I'll be there when you come back. I just need to go by my place, you know, grab fresh clothes, water my plants, feed the cat…"

"You don't have a cat."

Hayley grinned and put a finger on his chin. "I know. It's just that I might be gone a while… and I don't want you to call every 10 minutes, asking me if I'm okay."

Ryan snorted. "You're going to miss me more than I'll miss you. OOOWWW!!!" Ryan quickly threw the covers and got out of bed. "Okay, that's it. I've got to get away from you before you start making me bleed."

Hayley laughed and pulled the covers up to her chin. "Go ahead naked man, and grab a shower while you're at it… you're sticky. And you smell."

Ryan laughed, picked up her yellow bra from the floor and threw it at her head. "You smell the same thing."

She lifted her eyebrows. "Ummm… that means I'll have to shower too."

He grinned, getting the message instantly.

Hayley laughed as she quickly scrambled out of bed and followed him to the bathroom.

XXXXX

"So? How was your day off?" Ryan winced inwardly. He just had a feeling the Cuban would be the first one to ask him about his time away from the lab.

He shrugged but didn't look up from what he was trying to concentrate on. "Since when are you interested in what I do on my days off, Delko?"

"Come on Wolfe, you're my buddy! Of course I care what goes on in your life!"

The shorter man snorted and looked up at his friend. "It was fine, thanks for asking."

"Fine? That's it?" Disappointment could be heard from Eric's voice.

"Yes, that's it. What did you think would happen? I never really do anything that interesting on my free time anyway."

Eric shrugged, "I know you don't… But what I DO know is that Hayley wasn't at her place yesterday, because I went over there to check up on her."

"So?"

"So she was at your place, wasn't she?" The taller man just wouldn't let it go.

"Yes, she was. We spent the day together, did errands, and she slept at my place too. On the couch of course." Well at least the first part was true…

Eric shook his head and laughed. "Nah, I don't believe it. There's something you're not telling me Wolfe, I can smell it."

Ryan couldn't keep himself from smirking at that last comment. "Would you please let it go man? I told you what you wanted to know. That's it." Irritated, he pointed at the table in front of him. "I have work to do. And I'm sure you got some too."

Eric smirked and started towards the exit. "Fine. I'll leave you to it. But someday, I'll get you so drunk, THEN you'll tell me what really happened."

"You'll never get me THAT drunk."

XXXXXX

The moment Ryan opened the door to his apartment, he knew something was different. First, there was music playing, which was very usual. Second, something smelled really good. Quietly walking towards the kitchen, he stopped and smiled when he spotted Hayley, who was facing the counter. She clearly hadn't heard him come in. She was wearing one of his old shirts over her clothes, using it as an apron. His shirt was way too big for her, the bottom hem almost reaching her knees. Ryan walked up behind her and whispered in her ear. "Stop messing with my clothes."

Hayley shrieked and dropped what she was holding. She tried to turn around but wasn't fast enough. Laughing, Ryan wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. "Ryan, you ass! You scared me half to death!"

Still laughing, he turned her around in his arms and let her wrap her arms around his neck. "Then I've reached my goal." Hayley playfully slapped him behind the head and brought his mouth down to hers. After a long lingering kiss, they broke apart, breathing hard. "You really have to stop doing that."

She gave him her puppy dog eyes. "What?"

He licked his lips, tasting her. "Kiss me like that."

She smiled and brushed her lips against his chin. "And why should I stop?"

He grinned. "I won't ever want to do anything else."

"Then don't." She made her way from his chin to his neck, teasing him with her lips. "Stay here, with me. I'm sure we'll find lots of interesting things to do."

Ryan chuckled and, trying to control his body's reactions, pointed at the oven. "Are you making me supper?"

Hayley looked over her shoulder and shrugged. "Yes. I decided I would show you I can actually COOK my food too. I'm making macaroni and cheese. And before you ask, no, it's not that Kraft Dinner crap."

Ryan laughed and let his hands travel down from her back to her butt, squeezing it. "Well it does smell great. But right now, I'm hungry for something else." He pushed her back against the counter and caught her mouth in a bruising kiss.

Hayley broke the kiss and giggled. "Are you always this horny, Mr. Wolfe?"

Ryan groaned and picked her up. He turned around and sat her on the table, moving between her thighs. "Only since I met you."

It was Hayley's turn to groan as she took hold of his hair. "I bet you say that to all the girls you take in your kitchen."

Ryan chuckled and grabbed her face between his hands. "Will you just shut up?"

XXXXXX

When he came out of the shower, Ryan realized how hungry he was. He walked back in the kitchen and saw Hayley sitting on the counter, eating. She was wearing a bright red tank top and black skinny jeans. She smiled at him and shrugged. "I was way too hungry to wait for you." She took another bite and pointed her fork at the table. "I'm not eating on this table anytime soon."

Ryan laughed and went to lean against the counter next to her. He watched her as she ate happily, her cheeks still flushed from their previous activity and her hair definitely needing to be combed. "You're beautiful."

Hayley looked up at his comment and blushed even more. "Stop it. I look like crap." She took another bite out of her food, chewed quickly and swallowed. She pointed her fork in his direction. "I'm no Natalia; now THAT'S a beautiful woman. She's got some boobs on her… wow. I'm actually really jealous."

Ryan grinned, shook his head, and turned to face her. He took her face between his hands and forced her to look up at him. "No. YOU'RE beautiful."

She blushed even more and looked down. "FINE. You've got no taste. " She freed herself from his grasp and pointed at the oven. "Your food's getting cold."

XXXXX

A little later in the evening, they sat together on the couch to watch TV. Hayley's head was on Ryan's lap as he stroked her warm stomach with his free hand.

"Hayley, you're the most annoying person to watch TV with, you know that?"

She frowned but kept looking at the screen. "What? Why?"

"Could you PLEASE choose something you'd like to watch and quit flipping channels?"

She shrugged. "Nothing's interesting."

"Well, I thought the movie we started watching seemed good."

She shook her head and changed the channel again. "The only thing that was good about it were the commercials that kept interrupting it."

Ryan groaned, stole the remote from her hand and held it as far away from her as possible. Without any warning, the redhead pushed his hand away from her stomach and stood. "I've got to go."

Ryan raised his eyebrow. "What? No you don't. You can have the remote back if you want it so much."

But Hayley was already picking up her stuff and making her way to the door. Ryan stood and followed her. He grabbed her hand, stopping her from opening the door. "Come on Hayley, you can stay here, I don't mind."

Hayley gave him a look. "I know you don't mind. It's just that we have work tomorrow, and I don't want people to get the wrong idea."

Ryan cocked his head. "And what would that be?"

She shrugged and put her bag over her shoulder. "You know. That we're sleeping together."

"Hayls, we ARE sleeping together."

Hayley smirked. "I know. We're just not TOGETHER together… you know what I mean?"

He frowned. "Since when do you care what people think?"

She sighed and shook his head. "Ry… This is going really fast. I want to have a little time to think." She went on her tip toes and kissed him softly on the lips. Ryan grabbed her waist and pulled her against him, deepening the kiss. Hayley moaned into his mouth and reluctantly pulled away. She gave him a little smile and winked at him. "What would you say if I came back tomorrow after work, okay?"

Ryan gave a loud sigh, defeated. "Fine. Leave me alone tonight." He took her hand between his. "I'll see you at work?"

"Sure!" And with that, she gave him one last little peck on the lips, opened the door and left. "Bye!"

Ryan shut the door behind her and laid his head against the hard wood. 'I definitely don't understand women.' Sighing, he turned his head and looked at the clock. It was still too early to sleep, but he didn't know what to do. He had imagined a lot of different ways this night could have ended, and this, ending up alone in a cold, empty apartment, was not one of them. He just couldn't get enough of that girl. Sighing, he decided his best option was still to go to bed.

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**Author's note:** BY THE WAY!!! I've already finished writing this story (There's a total of 19 chapters) and I just wanted to let you know that if you have ideas, if there's anything that you'd like to see happen in this story, well I'm always opened to suggestions!!!! I AM writing this story for you as well as for me!!!


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's note:** Hey y'all! The reason why I'm not posting the whole story all at once is because I want to make sure that I'm totally happy with every chapter… _and if you guys give me good ideas, well I'll try to fit them in!_

**Read and review please!!!!!!!!**Review!Review!Review!Review!Review!Review!Review!Review!Review!Review!Review!Review!Review!Review!Review!Review!Review!Review!Review!

**Chapter 11: Old Friends, a Little Jealousy and More Guitar Playing.**

The next morning, Ryan was the first person in the team to get to the lab. He went straight to the locker room and put his personal belongings in his locker. He looked at himself in the mirror and sighed. 'What's wrong with me?' he thought. He felt completely rested, having slept a lot more than what he was used to, and was in a great mood. He had woken up feeling refreshed, had taken his shower and had grabbed his usual morning coffee. He had even flirted with the blond girl who worked at the coffee place, like he always did. Still, he couldn't help feeling different.

His thoughts were interrupted by his cell phone ringing. He had to get to a crime scene. Work. At least THAT would help him think about something else. And maybe later, he'd get to ask Hayley to have lunch with him. He headed straight to the exit, not even checking if anyone else had arrived.

He got to the crime scene about ten minutes later, where he found Alexx, who was on her knees, examining the body of a very large man. Seemed like the victim had been pushed through the window of the… 20th floor. Ouch.

He was joined a few minutes later by Natalia, and together, they worked the scene and found several pieces of evidence they would be able to work with. When they were done, they went back to the lab with their findings. As soon as they walked in, Ryan decided he would go check if Alexx had found anything during the autopsy. Maybe he would get to see Hayley at the same time.

As he walked in morgue, he spotted the black woman right away, but the short redhead was nowhere to be found. Sighing, he walked up to the table and crossed his arms over his chest. "Hey Alexx. Have you discovered anything else about our man?"

"I'm afraid you didn't give me enough time, baby. I just got started on him. I can't tell you anything else than what I've already told you." She calmly said, not taking her eyes off the victim's face.

Ryan nodded. "By the way, have you seen Hayley yet?"

Alexx looked up and waved around. "She was here just a minute ago. I think she received a text message and wanted to answer it." She grinned at him. "My angel really misses her friends."

Ryan grinned back at her and shrugged. "I don't know." Of course he did. She had spent a lot of time talking about her friends.

"Do you want me to tell her you were looking for her?"

He shook his head. "No need. Anyway, I have to go back to work." He turned. "Call me the moment you find anything!" And he was gone.

"Don't I always?" she murmured, grabbing her tool.

XXXXXXXX

Later that day, Ryan was in Valera's lab, talking about the results for a DNA sample he had her analyze for him. He still hadn't seen Hayley, and even if he had this case to solve, it bothered him a little. He just… missed her. He was about to answer one of Maxine's questions, when they were interrupted by a loud girly scream coming from down the hall. They both turned their heads sharply but didn't have time to walk out of the room before they saw Hayley running like the wind towards the front desk.

"OH MY GOD!!!!" Almost everyone in the lab watched as she jumped into the open arms of three taller guys. "What are you guys DOING here?"

They all gave her a huge hug and the third one, the blond one, took her tiny face between his hands and kissed her right on the mouth, making Ryan's pulse rise. The guy finally let go of her and smiled down at Hayley's excited face. "We decided that we all needed a vacation. Miami seemed like a good spot to spend a few days. So here we are!"

Laughing, Hayley jumped back into the blond guy's arms, who picked her up and hugged her again. When he finally put her back down, Hayley turned around and finally noticed everyone was staring at them. "Oops!" She smiled as Calleigh, Horatio, Valera and Ryan approached the group curiously.

"Hey guys, these are the people I work with." She presented everyone, who all nodded politely at the three men. She then turned back to her friends and pointed to all three of them. "This is Josh, Matt and Taylor. They're my best friends." She couldn't keep herself from hugging them again.

Horatio, who had a small smile on his face, turned and looked down at his dark sun glasses. "Mrs. Carter, take the afternoon off." He looked up at her wide eyes. "I think you have some catching up to do." Hayley shrieked, jumped up and down and gave her boss a huge hug. "Thank you SO much, dad!" Laughing, she went back to her friends, grabbed them by the arms and dragged them towards the elevators, never even looking back at her co-workers.

Ryan scratched his left eyebrow and let out an irritated sigh. 'What the hell was that?' Glaring at the now closed elevator doors, he turned slowly and followed Valera back inside her lab.

XXXXX

He had barely made it inside his apartment when his cell phone rang. He looked at his watch. 'It's after nine. I hope it's not work.' He grabbed his phone and looked at the screen. The name that appeared made him smile. He sat on his couch and answered. "Hello Mrs. Carter."

"Hi Mr. Wolfe."

He grinned at the sound of her voice. He could hear muffled music in the back ground. "How was your day off?"

Hayley laughed. "It was great. We had a lot of fun. Still are too!"

"And you can't make it tonight, right?"

"I'm sorry Ry. It's just, my friends are here, and they're leaving in two days. I really want to spend as much time as possible with them."

Ryan's eyebrows went up. "Your friends are staying at your place? Inside your little apartment? With YOU in it?"

He almost saw her frown. "Calm down Ryan. We won't have orgies or anything."

Ryan sighed and rubbed his face tiredly. "I know. I'm just disappointed, that's all."

Hayley chuckled. "You're jealous."

"Of course I am! You're the only cute girl in a one bedroom apartment with three men, who, by the way, seem way too friendly for my liking. That blond one in particular… Fabio."

"It's Josh. And Ryan, they're my best friends. That's all. Don't get your panties tied up in a bunch."

Ryan snorted. "They all want to jump you."

He heard her sigh. "Can we change topic please? You're acting like a woman. And it does NOT suit you well."

"You know what, you're right." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry. It's just… that thing between us… it's still very new… and I can't seem to get enough of you." Feeling as if he had said too much, he quickly changed topic. "So what are your plans for the next few days?"

"Well I still have to work tomorrow. And after that, we'll probably play some music. I really miss singing."

Ryan laid his head on the back of his couch and closed his eyes. "Will I see you after they're gone?"

"Do you WANT to see me after they're gone?"

He smiled, remembering the previous morning. "What do you think?"

"What do YOU think?"

"You're really the most annoying woman on earth, you know that?"

She chuckled. "No. I'm only the most annoying woman you know."

Ryan grinned. "Yes. I want to see you as soon as they're gone."

"Then I'll call you." She hesitated. "And Ry… I miss you too."

He smiled, stood and headed to the kitchen. She told him she needed to get back to her guests, said bye and hung up. Ryan put the phone on the counter and looked in his refrigerator but realized he wasn't really hungry. He sighed and spotted the Pop Tarts Hayley had made him get. 'Cold Pop Tarts?' He shook his head and grinned. Looking around his very clean and very _empty_ apartment, he decided the best thing to do would be to go in the shower and watch TV. 'You've got it bad, man.' He told himself, as he went in his bedroom.

XXXXXXXXX

"You've got it bad, man." Ryan turned his head to look at Eric Delko who was following him in the house.

He didn't stop walking but looked back in front of him. "What are you talking about?"

They both stopped in the victim's living room and set their kits on the floor. Eric smirked as he bent down to grab his gloves. "There's something different about you. We've been working together for what, four years? Well in all those years, it's the first time I've seen you with that look on your face."

Ryan frowned but didn't look at him, too busy pointing his flashlight around the room. "What look?" He said, trying to sound uninterested.

Eric laughed and started going through the room like his partner was. "That look you've had on your face since your time off with Hayley. And you've _almost _stopped putting your nose in other people's business. That can only mean ONE thing."

Ryan sighed and rubbed his eyebrow. "Could you PLEASE focus on the job?"

The Cuban turned and looked at him, his full lips curving into his cocky smile. "You really REALLY like her."

"Delko, your life must be getting really boring if you spend so much time studying mine."

Eric laughed and nodded. "Fine, I'll shut up." He grabbed his tweezers from his kit and picked something from the carpet. "By the way, Valera told me you looked about to jump at someone's throat when you saw one of Hayley's boyfriends French kiss her at the lab."

Ryan's head shot up. "They did not French kiss!" The other man laughed again, quite proud of himself. He winked at his friend. "I know."

Ryan shook his head and turned around. "Just… shut up."

XXXXX

The next couple of days went by really quickly; the CSIs having to work on three cases at the same time. Eric didn't even have time to tease Ryan with his stupid comments about Hayley. Two nights in a row, Ryan would be home after midnight and would go straight to bed, too exhausted to even think about his own personal life.

He was relieved when he finally got a day off. All he wanted was to sleep in and… sleep some more. Unfortunately, something climbing on top of him woke him up… something warm… a warm body… a warm _naked _body.

Ryan moaned but didn't open his eyes. "What…"

"Shhhh… Go back to sleep."

"Natalia? OOOWW!!!!" Ryan opened his eyes and saw Hayley frowning down at him. "I was just kidding!"

The redhead smirked. "You better be."

"What are you doing here? At…" He looked at his alarm clock. "Noon?"

She laid down on him and put her chin on her hands, which were folded on his bare chest. "I'm on my lunch break. You said you wanted to see me. Here I am!"

"You're naked." He stated.

"Wow, I can really see why you're a CSI, Ryan."

Ryan smirked and pinched her hip. "Smart mouth."

Hayley lifted her shoulders and pouted. "My mouth is very smart, thank you." She grinned at him mischievously and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Do you want to see what else my mouth can do?"

Ryan gaped at what he thought she was suggesting. He opened his mouth to say something but she put a finger to his lips, silencing him.

XXXXX

Ryan frowned as he dried himself with a large towel, hearing music coming from his bedroom. "Hayls? When did you bring your guitar?" He left the bathroom and followed the music. He found her sitting cross-legged on the unmade bed, clad in a white t-shirt and orange panties. She smiled up at him and kept playing, wiggling her eyebrows at his nakedness.

He grinned, turned to his dresser and grabbed his underwear. "I never saw you bringing your guitar here."

Hayley shrugged. "It was in my car, so I brought it up with me." She kept on playing. "Why? You don't like it when I play?"

Ryan chuckled and put his blue t-shirt on. "I love hearing you play. Actually, I've been thinking about learning. Maybe you could teach me."

Hayley's smile grew wider and she winked at him. "You want to serenade me, Ryan?"

He shook his head and walked to the bed. He kneeled on it and leant to lay a soft kiss on her lips. "I don't need to serenade you. I've already got you with my charms."

Hayley threw her head back and laughed. "You are so full of yourself Ryan Wolfe!"

Ryan shook his head and sat on the end of the bed to put his shoes on. "You don't think it's a good idea? I could learn to play the guitar and we could do music together. And this way, you wouldn't have to wait for your friends to visit to do what you love." He turned to look at her but quickly looked away again, trying to hide the blush on his face. Hayley was staring at him, a soft smile on her face.

He stood and glanced at her again. "What?!?"

Hayley kept looking at him for a few more seconds and then shrugged, going back to scratching her guitar. "Sure! It would be a great idea. And I could also teach you how to play piano or give you singing lessons."

It was Ryan's turn to throw his head back and laugh. "Trust me Hayley, you don't want to hear me sing. I would probably make your nose bleed."

Hayley shook her head and got off the bed, leaving her guitar on the bed. She took the few steps separating her from him and hid her face in his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist. Ryan smiled and gathered her into his strong arms. "What did I say?!?"

* * *

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	12. Chapter 12

**Author's note**: I usually update every second day… but I won't be there tomorrow. So I'm doing it now! Enjoy, people!!!

_Meatball42:_ _I could make this story go on and on and on… but I won't. I love Hayley and Ryan together so much, I'd keep writing their story forever!!!!_

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**Chapter 12: Strange Collections, Annoying Mothers and... cuteness??**

"You are such a dork."

Ryan looked out from the bathroom, puzzled. "What?" He couldn't see Hayley, but her voice was coming from the living room.

"You have the whole Star Wars series on DVD."

He pursed his lips and went in the living room. Hayley was sitting on the floor, looking inside the storage under his television. "Are you going through my stuff?"

"If you wouldn't take so much time in the bathroom, I wouldn't get this bored, and I wouldn't even think of going through your stuff." She pulled out a very old copy of 'The Fly' and grimaced.

He winced, fighting the urge to push her away from his things. "Hayley, I told you already… I don't really like it when people mess up with my things."

She looked up and shrugged. "If _this_ is messing up with your things, well, deal with it. I want to know what Ryan Wolfe is hiding."

Ryan walked up to her, took the DVD from her hands and put it back in the drawer. "I'm not hiding anything."

She rolled her eyes and stood. "Come on." She whined, waving at the room. "Look at this place. It's boring. No personality, no colors. It's so… GREY! Everything is in its proper place! It's driving me nuts!" She looked up at his face and sighed when she realized her comments had hurt him. She put her arms around his waist and kissed his chin. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

Ryan pulled out of her arms and went back to the bathroom quietly. Hayley swore under her breath, followed him and sat on the counter, facing him. She waited for him to look at her and gave him a weak smile. "I'm sorry."

Ryan tried ignoring her for a few seconds, but failed. He shook his head and sighed, laying his hands on her thighs. "It's okay. I know my OCD is not always easy to deal with… Hell, I've been living with it for years, and I'm still having trouble accepting it."

Hayley grabbed his face between her hands and looked straight in his eyes. "I don't really care about it. I just got bored out there. And I have a big mouth." She kissed him softly on the lips and pulled back. She gave him a sheepish smile and shrugged. "Your place DOES need more colors though."

Ryan smiled back at her and kissed her again. "Maybe it does. But I'd NEVER be able to live in a place that looks like yours."

She grinned. "My place looks awesome."

"Your place looks like a clown's den." Hayley chuckled and Ryan caught her hand before she could pinch his nipple. "Will you stop doing that?"

She lifted her chin. "Make me."

Ryan grinned wickedly, grabbed the back of her head and crushed her lips to his. He pressed into her body, her legs automatically wrapping tightly around his torso. He picked her up from the counter and carried her to his bedroom. Hayley broke the kiss and laughed. "Have you been watching _'The Notebook'_ again?"

Ryan dropped her on the bed, climbed on top of her and grabbed her mouth again, making her moan. She started pulling his purple shirt out of his pants and giggled as he pushed her hands away and pulled her tight pink t-shirt over her head. Hayley grabbed his collar and pulled him down to her, kissing him hungrily.

As Hayley was finally able to get rid of Ryan's shirt, they heard a loud annoying sound coming from the night stand. He groaned and kissed her neck. "Leave it."

Hayley whimpered and started untangling herself from Ryan's body. "I really have to answer it."

"Don't"

She was finally able to get away from his strong hold and grabbed her cell phone. "Hello?"

Ryan, who hadn't moved, looked down at the covers and tried to get his breathing under control. "No." He turned his head to look at Hayley and saw her frowning. Apparently, it wasn't good news.

"Because I'm not." Sigh. "No." Another sigh. "Absolutely not." She shook her head aggressively. "I said NO." Ryan sat back on his knees, anxious. "MOM I said NO! What won't you understand in the word NO? It's a simple, two letter word! N. O….NO!!!!!!!" She was shouting. Ryan cringed and left the bed to go back to the bathroom. 'Might as well finish my morning routine.' He thought.

He could hear Hayley almost screaming at her mom. And that girl could be very loud if she wanted to. She finally stopped shouting and Ryan couldn't make out what she was saying anymore. The conversation went on for about five more minutes and Hayley finally reappeared, pouting at the floor.

Ryan smirked and looked at her through the mirror. "What has evil Clarissa done now?"

Hayley looked up and rubbed her hands over her face. "My mom's in Miami."

Ryan's eyes grew wide. "What? Like now? In Miami?"

She nodded and groaned. "That's not all. She's at my apartment. Sitting outside my door. Wondering why I'm not there to open it. At six thirty in the morning."

He turned around and gasped. "Well go! You can't leave her there!!!"

She pouted and shrugged. "Why not."

"She's your mom!"

"So what."

Ryan turned her around and pushed her through his apartment, right up to his front door. "Go home."

Hayley wasn't happy at all. "Wow. I can see that you can't wait to get rid of me. Thank you for making me feel so special." She put her hand on the doorknob and turned around to face him. "What's wrong with this picture?"

Ryan grabbed her bag and gave it to her. "What?"

She raised her eyebrows and dropped the bag, crossing her arms over her… bra-clad chest.

"Oh!" he ran back to his bedroom and came back with her pink Barbie t-shirt.

She grabbed it and pulled it over her head, glaring at him with her dark eyes. "You know I hate you, right?"

Ryan chuckled. "No you don't."

"I do."

"You don't."

"Do."

"Don't.

"Do."

"HAYLEY!!!" he grabbed her face and kissed her pouting lips. "Go. See. Your. Mom." He stroked her bangs back and smiled. "I'll see you at work later, okay?"

She shrugged. "Fine." She opened the door and walked in the hall. "I still hate you!"

Ryan shook his head and chuckled. "No you don't."

XXXXXXX

His first slow morning ended up being the beginning of what would be a very long day. Ryan, along with the whole team, had to work on a case involving the murder of a young family. The husband and wife, along with their four kids, were found dead in their home. They had all been stabbed to death in their beds, while they were sleeping.

Hayley and Alexx had had a lot of work with the bodies and were both shaken up by the violence of their deaths. Ryan would sometimes steal glances at Hayley's bent body, noticing how the usually energetic girl had been replaced by the serious and professional version.

He wasn't able to find out how her reunion with her mom had gone that morning. And with this case adding even more pressure, he knew she would need some space. He decided he would wait for her to make the first move, not wanting to put even more pressure on her.

At the end of the day, when they were finally able to close the case, Ryan, along with Eric, Calleigh and Natalia, all decided they needed a drink… or a dozen. It was only eight, so they went to their usual bar, which was dark and friendly, and not too far from the lab. Their drinks in hand, they sat around their table and started drinking quietly, exchanging a few words here and there.

Natalia held her drink up at her friends and grinned. "Thank God this day's over." They all held their drinks up like she had and drank.

Ryan put his drink down and rubbed his eyes tiredly, leaning heavily on his elbows. "Man, I'm exhausted. I hope tomorrow's not going to be as horrible as today was."

Calleigh shook her head. "No way could something like this happen two days in a row." She took a sip from her glass. "If it does, there's something wrong with the world."

Eric chuckled bitterly. "Well, with what we've seen before, we know something's definitely wrong with the world."

They all nodded tiredly and sighed. After their third or fourth drink, no one was counting, their moods started getting better. They talked and laughed more, trying to push the case at the back of their heads. More and more people started walking in small bar, the atmosphere getting lighter and happier at the same time.

With the music playing and the alcohol flowing, Ryan never realized his cell phone had rung three times. At around eleven, the gang decided that it would be a good time to leave, since they were all still working the next day. Ryan and Natalia, who had drunk too much to take their car, decided to share a cab, since they lived on the same side of the city. The taxi reached Ryan's place first, so he paid for it and said good night to Natalia.

Finally inside his apartment, Ryan went straight to his bedroom, undressed quickly and climbed in his bed. Sleep came almost instantly.

XXXXXXX

'What's that sound?' Something was beeping. Ryan groaned and slapped his alarm clock, but the sound just wouldn't stop. Opening his eyes, he looked at the offensive object and realized it was only five in the morning. The annoying beeping wasn't coming from his alarm clock.

Looking around his bedroom, he noticed his clothes were in a heap on the floor, which was unusual for him. Groaning, he reached to grab his pants and pulled them on the bed. He took his cell phone from the pocket and looked at the screen. He had three missed calls. Looking at the phone number, he realized Hayley had called him three times the night before. 'Well I can't call her now.' It was way too early. He put the phone on his night stand and turned around, needing the few more hours of sleep.

Ryan's alarm clock woke him up at six. After he took a long shower and got dressed, he finally called Hayley back. The phone rang three times before she answered it.

"Hello."

"Good morning gorgeous. Look, I'm sorry if I didn't call you last night, I never heard my phone ringing."

"And who exactly were you with?"

Ryan lifted an eyebrow, surprised. Hayley didn't sound like… Hayley. "I was with Eric, Calleigh and Natalia. We went at that little bar close to the lab."

"Natalia was there?"

He frowned. "Yeah. We even grabbed a cab together after."

"So you SLEPT with her?"

Ryan's frowned deepened. "No, we didn't Hayley. I went home and she went home. That's it. What's going on with you?"

"What's going on with YOU?"

Ryan was about to answer when he heard another voice in the back ground. "MOM? Who are you talking to?" His mouth opened but nothing came out. "MOM!!!! GIVE ME THAT PHONE!!!!"

"Hayley?"

"Ryan??? Oh my GOD. THAT'S IT!!! Clarissa Carter, you are NOT, and I repeat, NOOOOT my mother anymore. Better yet, we're not even related. I don't want to talk to you ever again!" He heard the sound of a door closing. "Ryan? I'm sooooo sorry…"

Ryan chuckled. "So that was your mom I was talking to."

"No. She's not my mother. She's only an intruder… sleeping in my apartment. What did she say to you?"

He laughed again and shut his eyes… what a weird way to start the day. "Nothing important." Going to his kitchen, he grabbed a box of cereal and poured some in a bowl. "I saw you tried to call me last night."

Hayley sighed in the receiver. "Yeah. I'm sorry, I was feeling depressed, after yesterday's case and everything…" she sighed again. "… I just needed to… hear your voice."

Ryan grinned and took a bite from his breakfast. "You can hear my voice now."

"Yeah, sure, but I'm not depressed anymore. Now, I'm just pissed off at my freaking mother."

He laughed and took another bite. "Well she _does_ sound… colorful."

She snorted. "_Colorful_ is way too nice to describe her. I would have said _demonic_." She sighed. "So where were you last night?"

"I went out with the team. We had a few drinks and I came back home after."

"That's cool. I'm sure it was a lot of fun. Did you see any hot chicks?"

Ryan shook his head. 'Definitely not like her mother…' "We're in Miami… there are hot chicks everywhere."

Hayley snorted. "Man I hate Miami…"

Ryan laughed and shook his head. "No you don't. There are a lot of hot guys too."

It was her turn to laugh. "Again, so true."

"So what are your plans for today?"

He heard her sigh. "Well, it's my day off. Clarissa wants to see Miami, so I'll show her around. She said she wanted to see the 'horrible' place where I work… I said no. And then, we'll have supper, then we'll go to bed, and then, the best part, she'll LEAVE."

Grinning, he took his empty bowl to the sink and washed it. "So I guess I'll see you the day after tomorrow?"

"Umm… Clarissa wants to meet you."

Ryan lifted his eyebrows, surprised. "Why would she want to meet me?" There was silence on the other end. "Hayley?"

"She thinks we're dating."

He could almost see her blushing, which made him smile. "Where did she get that idea?" Again, silence. "Hayley?"

"I kind of told her… you were my… boyfriend."

Now it was his turn to blush. "Am I?"

"Are you?"

"I asked you first."

"FINE… you're my boyfriend."

Ryan's smile grew even wider. "I'm your boyfriend."

"RYAN!!!! You are soooo not making this easy for me."

"Who said I was trying to?" He heard her groan and he laughed. "When do you want me to be there?"

"At seven." She mumbled and he heard a click.

'She hung up on me???' But that didn't bother him. He didn't think anything could bother him today. Whistling, he locked his front door and left for work.

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	13. Chapter 13

**PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!! I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE GETTING REVIEWS!!!! Even if you think my story sucks!!!! ^_^**

**Chapter 13: Questions… Questions and More Question****s**

"I said NO!" Hayley took the ketchup out of her mother's hands and pushed her away from the oven.

"But Hayley, it would taste a whole lot better if you added some! I tried it once, it was really tasty. " Clarissa was still struggling to stay where she was.

"When it's in your plate, I'll let you add whatever you want in it: ketchup, mayo, spit, paint, rat poison, _anything_."

Clarissa rolled her eyes at her daughter and left the kitchen. Hayley let out a frustrated groan and closed her eyes. Clarissa had been acting like that all day; She made decisions for her, gave her awkward comments, was overly annoying, and drove her COMPLETELY CRAZY… It was as if she was trying to get back at her for not seeing her enough.

Shaking her head, Hayley looked down at the bottle of ketchup she had taken from her mom's hands. 'Who puts ketchup in Alfredo sauce?' Grimacing, she quickly looked around and hid the bottle in the storage under the oven. "Mom, can I ask you something?"

Her mother walked back in the kitchen, arms crossed. "What?"

"Could you PLEASE tone it down a bit, when Ryan gets here?"

Clarissa lifted her eyebrows. "So you don't want me to be myself around him?"

"Exactly." Hayley looked at her mom and sighed. "Just try to be less… colorful?" She cringed at the use of Ryan's words.

The older woman nodded and sighed. "I'll try my best." She turned around and walked back in the living room. "By the way, your shirt's horrifying. You look like you're wearing a tablecloth!"

Hayley looked down at her purple and black checkered shirt and groaned again. 'I'm gonna push her out the window…' Her thoughts were interrupted by someone knocking at the door. She jumped and ran for the door, bypassing her mother who was already walking towards it.

Hayley opened the door, walked out and closed it behind her. "Hi!"

Ryan, who was holding a bottle of wine, raised his eyebrows, surprised. "Hi. Aren't you going to invite me in?"

Hayley blushed. "You're about to meet my mother."

He chuckled and bent down to brush his lips against hers. "That's usually what boyfriends do."

She pouted and slapped his chest. "Stop it!" She smiled shyly at the expression on his face. "Can't you see I'm shy about it? Just be your normal, charming self, okay?"

He cocked his head to the side and grinned. "And you'll be what, your annoying little self?"Hayley pulled her tongue at him. Smiling, he pulled her face back to his and kissed her gently. "Since when are you shy, Mrs. Carter?"

She shrugged and looked down. "I don't know… I think you're the only one who can make me shy." She straightened her clothes. "Alright! Let's get this show on the road."

Ryan laughed and followed her inside her apartment. He was instantly greeted by a woman who was undoubtedly Hayley's mother. She was a few inches shorter than her daughter, but had the same childish face. Her hair was blond and was a lot longer than Hayley's. She was wearing a large loose white skirt, a red tank top and a long colorful scarf around her neck. She had bright blue eyes that sparkled with the same mischief he always saw in Hayley's dark brown eyes.

"Hello, I'm Ryan Wolfe. Pleased to meet you." He shook the woman's hand, smiling politely.

"Hi Ryan. I'm Clarissa Carter, Hayley's mother." She answered, returning his smile. "You're a lot cuter than I expected!"

Ryan blushed and looked down, feeling like a teenager on his first meeting with his girlfriend's parents.

"Alright!" Hayley clapped her hands together and took Ryan's hand, pulling him towards the kitchen. "Let's eat! I'm starved!"

They all sat at the table and ate, making polite conversation. Clarissa was asking a lot of questions, but he didn't mind, he had nothing to hide and he wanted to make a good impression. In the middle of the meal, the older woman had asked Hayley for the ketchup, which Ryan thought was strange, since they were eating fettuccini Alfredo. Hayley had sighed, gone to the oven and grabbed the ketchup that she had hidden there. Clarissa had put the equivalent of two spoonfuls of the red mixture in her pasta, making it turn a nice Pepto Bismol pink. 'I guess weird runs in the family…'

"So, Mrs. Carter, tell me more about your daughter." He turned his head and smirked at Hayley, who was silently pleading with her eyes. "She loves talking about herself, but I have the feeling she's only telling me about the nice stuff."

Clarissa chewed her food and smiled. "She does like to brag a lot." She gave her daughter a sweet smile and patted her… fist. "Hayley and I are so much alike. We get bored pretty easily. We like change, excitement." She took a sip of wine and chuckled as Hayley rolled her eyes and snorted. "When she was young, we used to move a lot. Well, every time she got in a new school, she would make friends instantly. She had this charisma that attracted people." Clarissa laughed and shook her head. "Once, I think she was about fifteen, she came home after school with two boys."

Hayley let out a frustrated sigh and stood up. "I'll go get dessert ready."

Her mom nodded and continued. "When I asked her who they were, she told me they were both _potential_ boyfriends, and it was their job to show her which one would be the best choice." She laughed and finished her wine. "She finally fell for the little neighbor who had long hair, tattoos and an old beat up car."

Hayley walked behind her mother, moved her hands close to the woman's neck and faked choking her.

Ryan hid his smile behind his napkin and handed her his empty plate. "So she was quite popular!" He picked up the bottle of wine, pouring some more in the woman's glass. "Well I can tell you she has about the same popularity at the lab. We all really enjoy working with her."

He glanced at Hayley who was blushing and winked at her.

Clarissa shook her head, frowning. "I'm not surprised. The only thing I don't get is why on earth she'd want to work in a place like that. Dead people? She's always loved entertaining people, making them become... alive!"

Ryan nodded. "I understand. But what she does now is very important. And instead of making people _become _alive, she _keeps_ them alive by helping us find dangerous criminals. You should really be proud of her."

"I _am_ proud." She looked at Hayley, who had her back turned to them. "She's just so talented, I always thought she would become a star."

Hayley turned and brought them their dessert. She had _cooked_ brownies. Ryan looked up at her and chuckled. She winked at him and sat back at the table. "I've heard her singing, she has an incredible voice."

Clarissa took a bite out of her dessert and swallowed. "She does. Did she tell you she was in a band in college? Her three best friends and her. They were quite popular, made a lot of shows."

Ryan nodded. "She did tell me. And I even met them a few weeks ago." He looked at Hayley who nodded.

"Yeah mom, all three of them came to Miami. We really had a lot of fun together; we made music, drove around Miami…"

"They did?" Clarissa seemed very surprised. "Even _Josh_ came?"

Hayley's smile faded. "Yes mom, even Josh."

Ryan kept quiet, interested. Hayley didn't seem happy about the way their conversation was turning.

Her mother nodded. "Oh."

"Mom, would you let it go please?"

"Sure." She sighed, but couldn't keep her mouth shut for more than half a second. "It's just that, with all that's happened between you and Josh, I just thought it must have been awkward..."

Hayley wasn't the only one not smiling anymore. Ryan's mind was racing. 'Josh… wasn't he the _friend_ who kissed her in front of everyone?' he thought. He really didn't like what he was hearing. That guy had kissed her and then, he had stayed at her place. Two nights in a row. He looked at Hayley who was sitting beside him. She was looking down at her still untouched dessert, stabbing it with her fork.

Clarissa wiped her mouth and stood. "I have to go to the bathroom."

They kept quiet for a few seconds before Hayley reached over and took his hand in hers. "You know nothing happened right?"

Ryan looked at their locked hands. "So, I take it you and this Josh dated, right?"

She nodded. "We were together for two years. We broke up a little before I came to Miami." Ryan sighed deeply, but stayed quiet.

"I told you. Nothing happened. We're just friends now."

Ryan nodded slowly and looked at her. "I believe you."

Hayley gave him a little smile, relieved. "You said some really nice things about me Ry. Thank you." It was Ryan's turn to blush. Her smile turned into a grimace as she heard her mom coming back.

"Well, sorry it took so long. What did I miss?"

The rest of the evening went by pretty quickly. When supper was over and the dishes were washed, they sat in the living room and chatted some more. Hayley's mom kept on ignoring her daughter's glares and telling Ryan all her most embarrassing stories. When Ryan finally decided to call it a night, he wished her a good trip back to New Jersey, kissed Hayley on the cheek and left.

Ryan sighed when he finally made it inside his apartment. 'Now I understand why Hayley fights with her mother all the time.' Shaking his head, he walked to his bedroom to change into his pajama pants. About 10 minutes later, as he was brushing his teeth, he heard someone knock at the door. Frowning, he rinsed his mouth and walked quickly to the door. He looked through the peephole and frowned. 'Hayley?'

He opened the door and before he could make a move, she had grabbed his head and crushed her lips to his. He groaned and pulled her in his apartment. He shut the door and pushed her up against it. They finally broke the kiss, panting. "Not that I'm not happy, but what are you doing here?"

She bit his neck. "I want you."

Groaning again, Ryan grabbed her face between her hands and kissed her hard. Moaning, she reached for his pants as they blindly made their way towards his bedroom.

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SO??? How d'you like it? Could Clarissa have been more annoying?????


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's note:** Only 5 Chapters left!!! PLEASE stick with me here!!!! THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS!!!! I LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE getting reviews!!!

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**Chapter 14: Realizations and More Nipple Pinching.**

Ryan winced as he stretched his arm to turn off his alarm clock. His whole body felt sore. Yawning, he rubbed his eyes and turned his head, only to realize Hayley had left. He frowned, but spotted a little note on her pillow. Grinning, he grabbed the piece of paper and brought it close to his face.

'_Good morning! I left early to go kick my mom out of my place. I'll see you at work. Hayley._'

Ryan smiled, shook his head and got out of bed. He stretched his sore muscles and went in the bathroom to get prepared for work.

XXXXX

"Hayley, baby, something's definitely going on with you."

The redhead lifted up from her work and gave the black woman a confused look. "Huh?"

Alexx smiled and shook her head. She pointed at the body in front of her. "If I'm not mistaken, you've checked over this poor man three times now."

Hayley tried to hide her blush and shrugged. "Maybe… I needed to make sure I hadn't missed anything."

Alexx lifted her eyebrows. "Baby, you _never_ miss anything."

Hayley sighed and looked down at the dead man's face. 'A little help, please?'

The older woman turned and went back to what she was doing. "Well I think I know what's going on. I think your mind is stuck on my baby boy Ryan."

Hayley groaned and bent down over the working table, her head hitting her arms. "Am I that transparent?" She mumbled. She heard the other woman laugh and walk towards her.

Alexx put her hand on her head and stroked her hair. "Hayley, I think you are incapable of hiding anything from anyone. Your pretty face is way too expressive. And what I can see when I look at it now, is lo…"

"Don't say it." Hayley mumbled in her arms.

Alexx smiled and brought her face closer to the younger woman's ear. "You're in love, sweetheart. And I think it's wonderful. About time my boy found someone like you."

Hayley turned her face and focused her dark brown eyes on the woman standing close to her. "Really?"

Alexx nodded and stroked her hair one last time before walking back to where she was working.

Hayley sighed and put her chin on her arms. "Could you do something for me, Alexx? Could you _please_ not tell anyone about this?"

Alexx shook her head and chuckled. "Baby, I think there's not a person in MIAMI who doesn't know about it." She turned her head and winked at her. "But if it can make you feel better, I promise I won't say a word."

XXXXX

About an hour later, Calleigh came down to the morgue, her usual bright smile plastered on her face. "Hey, you two! We're all going out for lunch, interested?"

Alexx shook her head, saying she wanted to finish what she was doing as soon as possible. Hayley smiled back at the bubbly blond and accepted the invitation. "We're leaving in 10 minutes."

Hayley turned and took her white lab coat off. Under it, she was wearing a purple polo shirt and black bermuda shorts. Her red hair was in a high pony tail. "Would you like me to get you something, Alexx?"

The black woman smiled at the younger woman and nodded. "Sure. Why don't you… surprise me."

Hayley laughed, shook her head and turned to leave. "You know you should've NEVER said that." She heard the other woman laugh as she left the room and walked up to join the others. Calleigh, Eric, Natalia and Ryan were waiting for her in front of the building. It was a really beautiful day outside, the weather wasn't too hot. She waved and went to stand next to Ryan, who gave her a large welcoming smile.

Eric rubbed his hands together. "So, I'm starving, where do you want to go?"

Natalia was the first one to have an idea. "Well, it's so nice outside, why don't we walk to that little diner down the street? Shouldn't take more than 15 minutes to get there. " Everyone agreed and started walking towards it. After a little while, they started hearing music. As they got closer to the sound, they spotted someone singing and playing guitar on the sidewalk."

Hayley, who instantly recognized the song, smiled and ran up to the white haired man. They all looked at each other, surprised. They saw Hayley grab the other man's guitar without even asking. Looking at her friends who had finally reached them, she started playing and singing along with the man. The performance only lasted a few minutes, but they could all see it was all it took to make Hayley's day. When the song finally ended, Hayley thanked the man, gave him a hug and told him she would try to make it the next day.

Calleigh was the first one to react. "You mean it's not the first time you've played with him?"

Hayley went back to stand next to Ryan. "No. I try to come see him as often as possible. Mike lost his wife a few months ago, and he really enjoys it when I spend some time with him." She shrugged. "No big deal." She looked up at Ryan who had stayed quiet during the exchange, and who was staring at her. His soft hazel eyes made her blush and she looked down at her feet, remembering her earlier conversation with Alexx.

They finally reached the little diner and all grabbed some food. They sat at a picnic table outside to eat.

"Hey!" Natalia started. "I heard the department wants to throw a party for agent Williams'retirement."

Calleigh nodded her head. "Yeah, I heard about it too. We're supposed to get the invitations soon."

Ryan groaned. "I just hope it won't be like the last retirement party we were invited to."

Eric laughed and agreed. "Man, that was one of the longest and most boring parties I've ever had to go to."

They all laughed and finished their meals. Hayley grabbed a chicken breast salad for Alexx and they all started walking back to the lab. As they walked a little behind the others, she couldn't help herself from blushing as she felt Ryan's hand softly stroking the skin of her lower back.

XXXXX

"Would you PLEASE not touch my stuff Hayley?"

The young woman turned around and pouted. "I was just looking."

Ryan sighed and turned his head to look at her. "No you weren't, I saw you reach for the cupboard over the sink."

"No you didn't."

"I did."

"Didn't"

"Did"

"Didn't"

"HAYLEY!!!!! You are so annoying." He stood from the couch and came to stand right in front of her. "I sometimes feel like I'm talking to a child when I talk to you."

She looked up at him and grinned. "You like it."

He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing her closer. "Well, let's just say it's not what I like the most about you. I like it better when you're being all… woman."

Hayley giggled and put her arms around his neck. "You know what we should do?"

Ryan smiled and brushed his lips against hers. "I think I have an idea."

She giggled again and pointed behind her. "We should really look at what's in that cupboard… OW!!!!" She pushed him away, her mouth wide opened in shock. "Did you just pinch my nipple?"

Ryan winked at her. "What? You can dish it out but you can't take it?" He crossed his arms on his chest as he watched her face become all serious. "Come on, Hayley, you can handle more than a little pinching." She stayed quiet and kept staring at him. He cocked his head to the side and frowned. "Hayley?"

"I love you."

His arms fell, his eyes wide. "Wh… What did you just say?"

Hayley shrugged and looked down. "I said, I love you."

Still frowning, Ryan took her face between his hands. "Hayley… Let me get this straight. I pinch your nipple… and you tell me you love me?"

She gave him a weak smile. "Yes."

He let out a shaky breath and stared deep into her dark eyes, shocked. After a few seconds, he groaned and crushed his lips against hers. Hayley smiled against his lips and broke the kiss. "Does this mean the feeling's mutual?" Ryan put his hand behind her head and brought her mouth to his again. She let him kiss her for a few seconds and broke away again. "NOW who's anno…"

Hayley whimpered as Ryan crushed his lips back on hers and explored her mouth. Without interrupting the kiss, he picked her up and she sat her on the counter.

XXXXXXX

"Hey Hayley?"

Hayley poked her head out of the bathroom, her toothbrush sticking out of her mouth, and looked at Ryan, who was still lying in bed. "Yeah?"

"I love you too."

She smiled at him. "I know."

He smiled back at her, blushing. "I just… didn't say it back… earlier." He watched her as she hid back inside the bathroom, quickly finished brushing her teeth, and came back out. Instead of going back to her side of the bed, she climbed on top of him, and laid her chin on his chest. Ryan smiled down at her and stroked her red hair back, looking into her eyes. "I love you. You are… OW!!!!!!"

Hayley screamed and jumped off the bed. "THAT'S for pinching MY nipple!"

Laughing, Ryan put his hands over his face. 'That girl's gonna be the death of me…'

XXXXX

Hayley let out a long irritated sigh and shook her head. She was lying on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. "Come ON Ryan! What are you doing in there? Plucking your eyebrows???"

Ryan finally opened the bathroom door and walked back in the bedroom. "I'm ready, I'm ready."

Hayley rolled her eyes. "Geez, you're worse than a woman." She stood and straightened her clothes. She was wearing her black skinny jeans and a tight white tank top. She had added a long red beaded necklace to her look and had let her hair down. "Do I have to remind you that Cal and Eric are waiting for us _as we speak_?"

It was Friday night and Calleigh had invited them, along with Delko, for a night out. They were supposed to meet at the restaurant at eight… which was about five minutes ago.

Ryan snorted and finished buttoning his red shirt. "I thought you were the 'fashionably late' type."

Hayley shook her head and frowned at him. "There's a difference between being _fashionably late _and just plainly impolite. You're the one who's supposed to _pick me up_ tonight, so I'll just tell them it's your fault if we're late."

He sighed. "Yeah about that, I've been thinking…"

Hayley groaned and left the bedroom, making her way to the front door. "Think in the car, Ryan!!!"

Ryan, who had followed her, frowned and grabbed her hand, stopping her from opening the door. "Just, give me a minute, okay?" She sighed and nodded her head. "I think tonight could be a good time to tell them… about us."

It was Hayley's turn to frown. "Why would you want to tell them now?"

Ryan shrugged. "What's wrong with tonight?"

Hayley studied him for a few seconds and finally smirked, cocking her head. "You just don't want to spend the night not being able to touch me, admit it."

He chuckled at her comment and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. "Well THAT and also the fact that I'd like to be able to tell everybody how amazingly beautiful my girlfriend is."

Hayley snorted and patted his cheek. "My GOD you can be so cheesy sometimes…" She sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Fine."

Ryan smiled and shrugged. "Let's just slip it in the conversation, alright?" He bent his head, kissing her lips softly. He rolled his eyes as she pulled away abruptly and opened the door.

"Alright! Now let's go you WOMAN!"

They finally made it inside the restaurant almost half an hour late. As soon as Hayley spotted the couple at their table, she grabbed Ryan's hand and dragged him towards them. "You guys, I am soooooooooo sorry!!"

Calleigh smiled and told them it was fine, but Eric didn't seem to feel the same way. "What the hell were you two doing? Did you get lost on your way here, Wolfe?"

Ryan smiled sheepishly and took a seat next to Hayley. "Sorry man, it's my fault." He looked at Hayley and grinned. "Seems I took too much time plucking my eyebrows."

Hayley laughed at Calleigh and Eric's expression. She shook her head and lifted a hand to caress Ryan's hair, smiling as he furrowed his brow. "No, what really happened was that Ryan was too horny and wanted a quick lay before coming here." She stood from her chair, took hold of Ryan's face and kissed him right in front of their friends. Ryan kept his eyes wide open, not believing what she was doing.

Hayley finally pulled away and smiled at him sweetly. "I have to go to the ladies room. If the waiter comes, could you please order something for me? Thanks _honey_." She winked at him and quickly walked away from the table, leaving him to deal with their friends.

Delko, whose mouth was wide open, watched her retreating form and turned his head to look at Calleigh. The blond woman, who didn't look as surprised as he seemed, laughed and shook her head. "FINALLY!"

Ryan groaned and rubbed his red face. "That was SO not the way you were supposed to find out!" He whined. 'I can't believe she left me alone to explain everything…' he thought.

Delko finally got over the shock and slapped his friend on the back. "YES!!! So I finally got the truth and didn't have to make you drink anything! Now what I need to find out are all the kinky details…"

Ryan shook his head and sighed. "No way, Delko." He waved around. "And what she said isn't true. She's just getting back at me for making her late."

Calleigh laughed and took a sip from her drink. "Well, we're happy for you two, aren't we Eric?" She grinned at the Cuban and gave him a nudge.

"Ye... yeah! It's great! You're finally getting some, Wolfe!"

"Who's getting some? Are you talking about getting laid again, Delko?" Hayley walked around him and sat on her chair, batting her eyelashes innocently at Ryan. "Hello, darling. Anything interesting happened while I was gone?"

Hayley, Calleigh and Eric all laughed as Ryan glared at her.

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	15. Chapter 15

**Author's note:** All I have to say is… THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS!!!! I've actually been trying to make the story longer… But I just can't. It's perfect the way it is. And I love my ending. SO we'll have to see. Maybe I could write a sequel!!!!

And now, on with the sappy goodness!!!!

PLEASEREVIEWPLEASEREVIEWPLEASEREVIEWPLEASEREVIEWPLEASEREVIEWPLEASEREVIEWPLEA

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**Chapter 15: Good Surprises… Bad Surprises.**

"Hayley? You in here, baby doll?"

"I'm right here!"

Alexx walked further into her morgue, looking for the redhead, who finally came out of the storage room she had been working in. The older woman smiled and helped her with one of the large boxes she was carrying. "We just got a call from the front desk. Seems someone's up there waiting for you."

Hayley frowned and put her box on an empty table. "Wonder who it could be." She started taking off her lab coat. "Are you going to be okay in here if I go check it out?"

Alexx chuckled and lifted an eyebrow. "You know angel, I used to be alone in here almost all the time before you joined me. I should be okay."

Hayley grinned at her and turned to leave. "I'll take my sweet time then!"

Alexx laughed and shook her head.

XXXXX

Hayley made her way quickly through the walls of the crime lab and stopped abruptly when she spotted who was waiting for her at the front desk.

"Josh!" Laughing, she ran the rest of the way and jumped in his arms, giving him a warm hug. "What are you doing here? Why didn't you tell me you were coming to Miami?"

Josh let her go and shrugged, smiling down at her. "I wanted to surprise you!"

Hayley laughed and gave him another quick hug. "Well you succeeded!" She stepped back and lifted her eyebrows. "Where are Matt and Taylor? Did you leave them in the car? You didn't forget to crack a window, right?"

Josh chuckled and shook his head. "Actually, I came here alone this time. I needed to talk to you."

Hayley snorted. "Gosh, you sound so serious all of a sudden. You know we text each other, like, everyday…"

The blond man lifted a hand up, stopping her. "I wanted to talk to you face to face."

"And I'm so happy you came!!! I can't believe it!" She looked around and grimaced. "The problem is I'm working right now… Tell you what; I'll go check with Alexx if I can get the rest of the day off okay?" She smiled up at him. "I think we have a lot of catching up to do."

Josh's smile grew wider and he told her he would go wait for her outside. Hayley went straight to the morgue to talk to Alexx and came back up only a few minutes later, having received the green light from the older woman. Before going outside to join Josh, she wanted to find Ryan and tell him about her surprise visitor. She looked around and quickly found him working in a layout room, studying a piece of fabric through a huge magnifying glass.

"Hey Ry."

Ryan looked up from his work and smiled at her. "Hey gorgeous! What's up? Is it time to leave already?"

Hayley grinned and shook her head. He always lost track of time when he was working. "No, you still have a few hours of working to do. I just came by to tell you I'm leaving for the day."

He frowned and walked up to her, concerned. "Why? Are you feeling okay? You do look a little flushed."

She chuckled and pushed his hand away from her forehead. "I'm fine. I got a surprise this morning. Josh is here. In Miami. Actually, he's waiting for me outside as we speak."

Ryan chewed on his bottom lip. "Oh. You're going to spend the day with him?"

"Yeah! He's only here for the day, so I want to spend as much time as possible with him before he leaves." She smiled, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Can you believe it, he said he came to Miami just because he missed me!"

Ryan gave her a fake smile and nodded. "Wow. That's so nice of him." He said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Hayley's smile disappeared as she rolled her eyes at him and took his hands in hers. "Ryan, don't be like that. We're just going to hang out, talk a little, have supper and that's it." She let out an irritated sigh. "I hate it when you're jealous for no reason."

He snorted and freed his hands. "Well, SORRY if I'm a little jealous when my girlfriend tells me she's gonna spend the day with her ex."

She furrowed her brow and started counting on her fingers. "Hmmm. Let's see. You got jealous when I said that guy at the mall had a cute butt. You also got jealous the when we went out because a waiter winked at me and I smiled back. Ooh! You even got jealous the last time I laughed at one of Eric's jokes…"

"I did not."

Her eyes grew wider. "Yes you did!" She changed her voice and imitated him. "'You don't laugh as loud at _my_ jokes.'"

Ryan shook his head, pointing at her. "You get jealous, too!"

"No I don't."

He crossed his arms over his chest and cocked his head. "You were jealous the last time Erika talked to me."

She gaped. "I wasn't jealous! I called her a bitch because she IS one!!! And you agreed!!!" She groaned and shook her head. "I can't believe we're fighting at work. AND because I want to spend time with a friend!!!"

Ryan sighed and shrugged. "Fine. He's your friend and I know you miss him." He took a step towards her and rubbed her arms. He knew he could be jealous sometimes, so he would try to be the understanding boyfriend. "Tell you what; I'll go to the grocery store after work and get something for supper, alright? You can bring him to my place. This way, all three of us can talk and I'll finally get to really meet this guy."

Hayley gave him a cheeky smile and jumped in his arms. "This is why I love you, Ryan."

Ryan chuckled. "Why, because I always give you whatever you want?"

"No. Because our fights never last long."

He snorted and kissed her. "They don't last long because I give you whatever you want."

Hayley chuckled and kissed him. "Exactly." She gave him one last peck on the lips and almost ran out of the room.

Ryan watched her leave and shook his head. "Have fun!"

XXXXXX

Hayley finally made it outside and found Josh sitting on the stairs in front of the crime lab. "Alright, I'm ready! And I've got the whole afternoon off."

Josh stood and gave her a large smile. "Great! Do you want us to go to your apartment first? We could drop your car there, grab our guitars and go sit on the beach!"

Hayley nodded. "Great idea! We can go straight to the beach though; my guitar is already in Ryan's car."

He looked over his shoulder and winced. "Right. _Ryan_. That's your boyfriend, right?"

She slapped his arm and started walking towards the parking lot. "Stop acting so stupid, Josh."

They quickly grabbed her guitar from Ryan's car and went back to Josh's rental car. Hayley took him to a quiet spot on the beach where she and Ryan liked to hang out sometimes, when they didn't feel like being too crowded.

They sat next to each other on the sand and started scratching their guitars, covering their favorite songs. After a while, they stopped playing music and just looked at the waves crashing on the beach.

It was Josh who broke the silence. "Don't you miss it, Hayls?"

Hayley frowned, her eyes still focused on the ocean. "What?"

Josh shrugged. "Playing music. Together. If you hadn't left, we could be doing this everyday!"

Hayley laughed and turned her eyes towards him. She smirked. "Yeah… not so sure about that. It would have taken more than that to keep me in New Jersey."

"What about your friends?"

She sighed and gave him a sweet smile. "Josh don't start. You KNOW I miss you… I tell you all the time!"

He nodded his head and looked down at his hands as he played with the sand. "What about me? Wasn't I a good enough reason to stay?"

Hayley's smile slowly left her face as she also looked away. "Don't do this Josh. You know that you and I as a couple was a horrible idea." She laid her hand on his arm, making him look at her. "I love you. You know that. I just don't LOVE you."

"I do." His hands went up to grab her face and he pulled her towards him.

Hayley she shook her head, freeing herself from his grasp, and gave him a sad look. "Josh, don't." She sighed as he looked away again. "We were not good together. I like having you as a friend a lot more than fighting with you about everything. If I want to argue with someone, I call my mom. It's a lot less painful."

Josh snorted and threw a handful of sand at his feet. "I don't get it. Why here? Why Miami?"

Hayley waved around and smiled. "This place is perfect! I've got my dream job and I love the people I work with. I'm a long way from my mother. And there's… Ryan."

He snorted. "That guy's so not your type Hayley. I don't know what you see in him. He seems so… boring."

She let out an irritated sigh and looked at her friend. "What's my type, Josh? Seriously. Because you seem to know more about it than I do."

Josh stayed quiet for a short moment and turned his gaze back to her. "_I'm_ your type, Hayls."

She shook her head. "I'm sorry Josh… but no. You're not. Ryan is smart, funny, passionate… I don't care if he doesn't like the same music as I do or if we dress differently." She let out a long breath and smiled. "I don't care if he's jealous sometimes or if we get on each other's nerves. He loves me. And I love him. That's all that matters."

Josh nodded and stood, grabbing his guitar. "Fine. I get it."

Hayley copied his movements and looked up at his face. "I'm sorry Josh." She looked at the watch at her wrist and noticed how late it was. "Ryan is probably making us supper as we speak. I'd really REALLY like you to meet him."

Josh shook his head and looked away from her. "No."

"What?"

"I'm not going to his apartment, Hayls. I don't want to meet him. And I certainly don't want to spend hours smiling as if I were happy for the two of you."

Hayley could feel tears coming to her eyes as she listened to him. "Are… are you saying it's all or nothing? We can't even be friends anymore?"

Josh laughed bitterly and shook his head. "We can be friends Hayley. I'll just need some time to get over you. That's all." He sighed and looked down at her. "Let's go, I'll drive you back to his place if you want. That's the least I can do."

They walked silently to his rental car and, except for when she needed to give him directions; the ride was made in complete silence. Hayley kept staring outside, unable to keep the tears from quietly rolling down her cheeks. When they finally reached Ryan's building, Hayley turned to Josh and gave him a sad smile. "I guess… I'll see you."

Josh nodded and stayed silent as she climbed out of the car and walked to the door. She didn't even look back as he drove away.

XXXXXX

Ryan smiled when he heard the front door open and close. He quickly wiped his hands and made his way to the living room wanting to welcome Hayley and her friend. He stopped when he saw the redhead sitting on the couch, by herself. "Hey! Where's your friend?"

Hayley lifted her shrugged but didn't answer. Frowning, Ryan went to sit on the coffee table in front of her and touched her knees. "Hayls, what's wrong? What happened?" She kept her head down, lifted her shoulders again and started crying. Ryan frowned and sat next to her on the couch, pulling her into his arms. "What did he do to you?" He could feel his anger rising as she cried into his chest. "I'm gonna kill him."

She quickly lifted her head, her eyes pleading. "No! Josh didn't do anything wrong…"

Ryan pulled his hands up to her face. "Then why are you crying, Hayley?"

She shook her head as her eyes filled with fresh tears. "He just… he came to Miami to ask me to get back with him."

Ryan tightened his jaw, not trusting his tongue to speak.

She hiccupped and grimaced. "He asked me to choose. He couldn't accept the fact that I'm in love with you." She started crying again. "I hurt him so much. I feel horrible."

Ryan pulled her back into his chest, his arms enveloping her. "God Hayley… You don't deserve this. You are, by far, the most amazing person I know. I love you. So much."

Hayley whimpered into his chest. "I love you too."

He kissed the top of her head and pulled her tightly against him.

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**Author's note:** AWWWWWW.... Protective Ryan.... soooo cute! So??? What did you think????


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's note:** Hey everyone! Again, thank you for the reviews!!! By the way I've added ANOTHER chapter to my story... I can't imagine not writing about Hayley and Ryan's story... We'll see what happens!!!

I still love getting reviews!!!!

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**Chapter 16: Music, Decisions and Uncomfortable Underwear.**

"I have a good feeling about this."

"About what?"

Eric thanked the waitress and took a sip from his drink. "This party. I've spotted one hot blonde… I'm telling you man, she's into me."

Ryan chuckled and rolled his eyes. He was leaning against the bar, looking at the crowd. Everyone seemed to be having a nice time. This retirement party was already a lot better than the last one… the best part being the open bar.

Delko settled next to him, grinning. "See anything you like?"

Ryan took a sip from his own drink and shook his head. "I'm not looking."

The taller man snorted. "Yeah, I still can't believe you're dating Hayley."

Ryan lifted his eyebrows. "Why not? You were the first one trying to get us together. "

"No way man. I just wanted you to get laid. Loosen up a little." He shrugged. "Hayley's just not your type. She's way too much fun to be with you."

He looked at him and gave him a dark look. "I don't have to explain anything to you, Delko." He finished his drink and turned around, setting it on the counter. "Go run after your hot blonde one night stand, _pal_."

"Ouch, that hurt."

Ryan turned his head and looked at the Eric… who was grinning. "I can really see the pain on your face."

Eric laughed and slapped the shorter man's back. "Where is the redhead beauty anyway? Wasn't she supposed to be here too?"

Ryan nodded and signed at the waitress. "She will be. She had to go get prepared... which usually doesn't take that much time. She should be here any minute."

He turned when he heard the other man whistle. "Well, you won't have to wait any longer my friend! Will you look at that!"

Ryan lifted his eyebrows in curiosity and turned around. He gaped. Hayley had just walked in… looking absolutely breath taking. She was wearing a tight red strapless dress that reached a little above her knees. She had curled her hair and put on a little bit of make-up which made her dark brown eyes pop. She was even wearing heels… she never wore heels.

"Breathe man."

And he did. Hayley spotted him and smiled, oblivious to the stares she got from the men around her. She quickly approached him and waved at Eric, who was also smiling. "Hi! I finally made it! Hey Eric!" She pointed at him. "Love the shirt. Very… flowery."

Delko laughed. "Thanks." He looked her up and down. "You, on the other hand, look incredible. You almost made me forget about my next conquest!"

Ryan sent him a dirty look. "Yeah! Right! Shouldn't you go talk to that hot blonde?"

Eric laughed again and lifted his hands. "Fine! I'll go! But Hayley, you have got to save me a dance later."

Hayley laughed and nodded. "Sure!" She watched him leave and then turned her attention back to Ryan, who still hadn't said a word. She grinned up at him and grabbed his drink. "You look like a fish out of water, Ry."

Ryan's mouth closed shut and took his drink back. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"What? Why would I do that? The sex is way too good."

"YOU look way too good." He stated, as if it were a flaw.

Hayley frowned and put her hands on her hips. "Nobody can ever look _too good_." She pointed at him. "You look incredibly sexy, by the way. And, as you noticed, I'm not about to grab one of the tablecloths and cover you with it to hide you from every woman's stare. "She gave him a wicked grin. "Because they _are_ staring."

Ryan lifted his eyebrows and looked down at himself. He had opted for a white t-shirt under his dark brown leather jacket and his black jeans. The smile came back to his face as he took hold of one of her hands. "Let's go sit with the others."

The retirement party was held on the terrace of a beautiful hotel, right on the beach. Everyone knew Williams was probably the one paying for everything, since the department would never pay for something this classy. They reached the table where their team was sitting and sat down. Looking around, Hayley noticed the small stage that was set right next to them, and the DJ who seemed to be in a rush to get his gear ready. There was a small dance floor in front of it. "What's with the stage?"

Calleigh, who was wearing a black cocktail dress, smiled. "I knew you would notice it. Seems like agent Williams is a karaoke addict." Everyone except Hayley and Calleigh groaned as the two women laughed. "I should have brought my camera! I can't wait to see you all singing."

About half an hour later, after agent Williams had done his speech and thanked everyone for being there, the real party started… with Williams singing the first songs. Everyone couldn't help grimacing as the agent, who obviously had a weak spot for old karaoke classics, kept on singing off key to one song after the other. A man just CANNOT sing 'Dancing Queen' and be taken seriously.

Even if the music wasn't great, people were still having fun, drinking and dancing.

When Williams finally decided to take a break, Hayley almost spilled her drink on Ryan as she shoved it into his chest and ran to the DJ. She took her shoes off and climbed on the stage, microphone in hand. "Alright! Let's keep this show going! I'd like everyone to stand up and dance!!! " She started jumping and dancing on stage, following the fast beat of the song she had chosen. Unlike Williams, Hayley owned the stage. Wasn't long before the small dance floor became too crowded as people danced to the music.

It was only about an hour later, after her final duet with agent Williams, that Hayley finally let go of the mic, to everyone's disapproval. Panting and laughing, she went back to their table and sat on Ryan's lap. "That was AWESOME!" She yelled and gave him a quick kiss on his smiling lips.

He had stayed at the table the whole time but had enjoyed just watching her perform on stage. The others were all out on the dance floor, enjoying themselves. Even Horatio was dancing… well… almost... dancing.

Ryan smiled back at her, stood and took her hand. "Follow me." They half ran to the exit, laughing, as he led her to the other side of the hotel. They finally made it on the beach. Ryan sat down on the sand and made her sit between his parted legs, holding her close against his chest. They could still hear the sound of the music playing at the party. A woman was singing a horrible version of Aerosmith's "Cryin'".

They stayed like that, not talking, for a few minutes until Ryan kissed her temple and whispered in her ear. "Move in with me."

Hayley, who was slightly drunk, threw her head back and laughed.

Ryan took her shoulders and made her move around so she could face him. "I said, move in with me."

Still laughing, she put her hand on his forehead. "Are you feeling okay? 'Cause I just thought I heard you asking me to move in with you."

Ryan took her hands and looked into her eyes, still serious. "I did."

Hayley stopped laughing but kept a large goofy grin on her face. "You do realize that I'M the one with the crazy ideas. Not you."

He sighed but kept staring at her. "You're always at my place anyway!" He sighed, giving her a soft smile. "It's been a long time since I've felt this happy. I used to think about work all the time. And now, I still love my job, but I take a lot more time thinking about me." He paused and stroked her cheek. "You've even been good to my OCD… "

Hayley snorted in a very unfeminine way. "You almost panic whenever I touch your stuff…"

Ryan grabbed her face between his hands and kissed her. "Move in with me." Still holding her face, he could almost see her thoughts travelling inside her head.

"We haven't been dating for a very long time…"

"I don't care." He kissed her softly. "Move in with me."

"Can we paint the walls?"

He laughed and let go of her face. "Yes. As long as I can choose the colors with you."

"Can I bring my red couch?"

Ryan rolled his eyes, remembering the ancient odd looking couch. He sighed and nodded. "Sure."

"Can I bring my Johnny Cash poster?"

Sigh. "Sure."

"Can I bring some of my mother's paintings and hang them in the living room?"

He grimaced but nodded. She knew he absolutely hated her mom's paintings.

"Will you let me make a mess out of your stuff and then let me watch you as you reorganize everything?"

"Hayley…"

"Can I take your side of the bed? It used to be mine before I started sleeping at your place all the time."

Ryan's face fell. "But it's my side of the bed. I really can't sleep on the other …"

Laughing, it was Hayley's turn to grab his face between her hands and kiss his lips, silencing him. She pulled back and looked into his hazel eyes. "YES, I'll move in with you!" She shrieked as he grabbed her waist and spun her on the sand, pinning her down under his weight.

"No sharp movements, Ryan! Unless you want me to barf on… hmmm." Ryan crushed his lips against hers and kissed her hungrily. They made out for a few minutes, until he pulled back, her body shaking under his.

"Since when does my kissing make you laugh?" He panted.

Still laughing, she started squirming under his weight. "I've got sand up my ass."

Ryan groaned and moved off her. He stood and offered her his hand. "Let's go home. There are some things I want to do right now, and I don't think it would be acceptable here. Too many potential witnesses."

Hayley giggled and let him help her up. "You don't want to go tell the others that we're leaving?"

Still holding her hand, he started pulling her towards the parking lot. "Trust me Hayley; I'm in no condition to go talk to anyone right now."

Laughing, they ran all the way to the car and left for their apartment.

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**Aren't they cute together??!???**


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's note: **Hi everyone!!! Chapter 17 is up!!!! Hope you like it! It's a little bit angsty... Hope you like it!!!!

Read and Review pleaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaze!!!!

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**Chapter 17: Ugly Paintings, Ugly Pillows and Ugly Hospital Rooms.**

When Ryan had asked Hayley to move in with him, he never even imagined she would have to 'move' in with him… Well, he knew she had things in her apartment, but really thought she would try to find some place to store it.

So when their day off finally came and they started the moving part, let's just say he wasn't pleasantly surprised.

Hayley had A LOT of stuff…

He had almost thanked his lucky star when she finally decided not to bring her horrible red couch to the apartment. However, he had to agree on letting her bring two of her mom's paintings, which were now hung on the freshly painted apple green walls of the living room.

Ryan was able to have her throw away a lot of what he called old crap, which made everything go a lot faster. At the end of the day, when they were both finally able to sit on the couch, almost everything was done. The apartment definitely looked as if Hayley had always lived there. Hayley's guitar, along with a huge purple beanie bag and numerous pictures were added to the living room. The kitchen, which was now yellow, looked pretty much the same as it did before… apart from the huge black and white Johnny Cash poster she had made him put on the wall. The bed in their now dark blue bedroom was sporting a lot more pillows than it should have, which made Ryan cringe whenever he walked in the room.

He would really have to talk her about those.

Finally, there was a very small room that Ryan hadn't really been using, so he let her have it. She called it the "OCD-free room" and used it to hide everything she had refused to part from and that Ryan didn't want in their apartment. He was fine with it, as long as the door stayed shut, hiding everything from his view.

Ryan groaned as he let himself fall on the couch. "I can't believe we're finally done."

Hayley nodded, looked around her new living room and sighed. "Let's get a cat."

Ryan, whose eyes were shut, shook his head. "No."

She sat down next to him and took one of his hands in hers. "Ah come on Ry! A cute, little, fuzzy kitten?"

"No way."

She pouted. "Well, I want one."

He sighed, clearly irritated. "Hayls, could we PLEASE not talk about this now? I'm exhausted."

"Do you want kids?"

That got Ryan's attention. He opened his eyes, surprised, and stared at Hayley's face. His mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. He finally frowned and cocked his head to the side. "You were talking about getting a kitten… and now, you want a baby?"

Hayley shook her head and gave him a look. "I don't want a baby now, if that's what you're asking. I was just wondering if you _wanted_ kids."

Ryan let out a long breath he didn't know he was holding and nodded. "Umm… yeah! I can see kids in my future."

She smiled, seemingly happy with his answer. "Are you hungry?"

Ryan snorted and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Hayley! Take a breath for God's sake."

She shrugged. "How about we order some pizza."

It was his turn to shrug. "Sure. But first, I just want to hold you for a little while." He could see she was also very tired, even if her mouth wouldn't shut up. "Come on." He moved to lie down on the couch and left enough space for her to lie down next to him. She snuggled against his hard body and let out a contented sigh. Ryan brushed his lips against her head. "This is gonna be great. I love you."

She didn't move, just mumbled something which sounded like 'I love you t… nt a cat.'

Ryan sighed. It was late. They should really skip supper and go straight to bed. They had to get to work early the next day.

He finally fell asleep with his cheek on top of Hayley's head, thinking about how long it would take him to free the bed from all the horrible pillows on it.

XXXXX

"SO, you like making girls cry?"

Ryan lifted his eyebrows but kept his eyes on the road. "What do you mean?"

Natalia shook her head, laughing. "You. Hayley. Together. You've made a lot of females sad, Ryan."

They finally reached their destination and Ryan parked the car. "Natalia, could you be a little bit more specific?"

They got out of the car and went to the trunk to grab their kits. "Men are so blind sometimes. Ryan, there were like tons of girls who had a crush on you. Very cute girls, by the way. And Hayley, well she's made a lot of them jealous."

Ryan smirked as they walked towards the large white house. A man had been found dead on the side of the road that same morning. Seemed like he was shot in the head and then pushed out of a moving car on the free way. Calleigh and Eric were back at the lab, questioning a suspect, as Ryan and Natalia got to go look at the victim's house for more evidence. "I didn't know I was that popular."

Natalia nodded her head. "I'm telling you. You know Jessica, that girl who works down at the unsolved cases; well she really had a thing for you. She still does, by the way."

Ryan snorted and shook his head. "She's never even talked to me! Anyway, now that Hayley's moved in…"

Natalia's eyes went wide. "Wow! So that means you're really official! I never would've thought…"

Ryan lifted his eyebrows. "What???"

Natalia shrugged. "Nothing really… it's just that I didn't really think you were her type. She's so… Hayley?"

"So?"

"Let's face it Ry, you two are really different."

Ryan let out a frustrated sigh and looked at her. "I' really getting tired of people thinking that! It's not true! I've always loved having fun… it's just that lately, I haven't been able to show it. I think Hayley's brought back the happy Ryan in me, the one that's been hiding for a while."

Natalia put her hand on his shoulder. "Well it's great. I'm happy for you. Really."

Ryan nodded his head. "Alright, enough chit chat, let's focus on finding some evidence." They knocked at the door and waited. "Seems like no one's home." Natalia tried the doorknob and they realized it wasn't locked. She looked at him and he frowned. They both set their kits on the floor and reached for their weapons. They slowly pushed the door open and walked inside the house. The curtains were all pulled shut, so it made it really difficult to see anything.

Natalia grabbed her flash light, but before she could use it, someone sent her flying across the room and knocked the wind out of her.

"MDPD! STOP IT RIGHT THERE OR…" The intruder shot at Ryan, who fell backwards. In the mean time, Natalia had grabbed her gun and started shooting at the man, who was able to escape. She ran to the door and looked outside, but couldn't see the attacker. She turned around and gasped when she saw Ryan was still lying on the floor. She ran to kneel next to him.

"Ryan!" He was breathing with difficulty, moaning as he tried keeping his blood from escaping the wound at his chest. "OH MY GOD! Ryan!" Shaking, she grabbed her phone and called for help.

XXXXXX

"Horatio?!?" The calm man turned his head to see a panicked Hayley running towards the waiting room. He could see Calleigh walking behind her. She was probably the one who drove Hayley to the hospital, since the redhead seemed too panicked to be able to drive safely. He stood from the hard chair he was sitting on and gave her a weak smile.

"Calm down Mrs. Carter." His voice was calm, but he looked nervous. He never looked nervous.

"What happened? Where's Ryan? Can I see him?"

Horatio glanced at Calleigh who had finally reached them. His blue eyes settled on Hayley again and he shook his head. "Hayley, Mr. Wolfe and Mrs. Boa Vista were attacked while at a victim's house. Mrs. Boa Vista only got the wind knocked out of her. Ryan wasn't so lucky. He was shot in the chest. He's in surgery as we speak."

She whimpered and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to keep herself from losing control. Taking a long breath, she opened her eyes again and nodded, looking up at Horatio. "But... he is going to be okay, right?"

"The doctor said they'll know for sure once he comes out of surgery. Ryan lost a lot of blood..."

Hayley put her hands on her mouth and shut her eyes. When she felt Horatio's hand on her shoulder, she turned and hid inside the taller man's arms, who held her shaking form against him.

XXXXXX

When Ryan woke up, he didn't open his eyes. The first thing he noticed was the sound of machines beeping around him. He tried breathing deeply but the pain he felt in his chest made him groan. 'Right… I was shot.' He slowly opened his eyes. 'I'm at the hospital.' Turning his head, he noticed someone sitting on a chair near his bed. 'Hayley.' She was holding her legs up against her chest and her forehead was on her knees. He couldn't be sure if she was awake or asleep.

Reaching with his hand, he touched her leg. "Hayley?" he whispered.

Her head shot up and she gasped. "Ryan! You're awake!" She put her legs down and bent her upper body towards him, putting her hand in his hair. She gave him a shaky smile. "How are you feeling?"

He winced. "My chest hurts like hell. I have difficulty breathing without screaming. Except for that, I'm fine."

Hayley's eyes widened. "Do you want me to go get a nurse?"

Ryan slowly shook his head, grimacing. "No. They'll only give me more meds and I'll fall asleep again."

"I just don't want you to be in pain." She whispered.

He gave her a small grin. "I'm fine, Hayls." He was lying. His chest really hurt like hell.

Hayley nodded and looked away, trying to hide the tears that had started falling out of her eyes. Ryan saw her movement and reached for her hand. "Hey, hey, hey, don't cry."

She shook her head, trying to get control over herself, but failed. She put her free hand over her eyes, hiding from his view. Ryan sighed and squeezed her hand, hating the fact that he couldn't just pull her into his arms. "Hayley, don't cry, I'm here! I'm fine!"

She took her hand away from her face but kept her eyes on the floor. She took a long shaky breath and whispered. "I was so scared. You can't imagine how much I was scared." She put her knees back up against her chest and looked at him, wiping her eyes with the back of her hands.

She laughed bitterly. "Don't look at me. I must really look like a mutant right now. Feels like all I've been doing is cry."

Ryan gave her a weak smile. "You're beautiful."

She looked back at him and snorted. "Well the meds must really be doing a great job." She wiped her eyes again. "You, on the other hand, look like crap."

Ryan grimaced as he gave a small chuckle. "OW, Hayls, don't make me laugh."

"Sorry."

He reopened his eyes and looked at the girl sitting next to his bed. She looked exhausted. Her hair was a mess; her skin was extremely pale and her eyes and nose were all red and puffy. "Have you at least got something to eat while you were waiting?"

She shook her head and looked down. "I'm not hungry. And before you ask, no, I won't. I'm not leaving your side."

He sighed, defeated. He didn't have the strenght to fight with her. He wouldn't win anyway. He winced as he moved on the narrow hospital bed. Looking back at her tired face, he patted the little space next to him. "Come here."

Giving him a shaky smile, she climbed on the bed with him, careful not to hurt him as she lied down and put her head on his pillow. She put her hand on his heart and sighed.

"Ry?" she whispered.

"Mmhm?" His eyes were closed.

"Never do this to me again."

She saw his lips curve upwards as he slowly shook his head.

Hayley sighed. "I got a kitten today." She shut her eyes, waiting for his angry answer, but heard nothing. She glanced back at his face and smiled weakly. He seemed to have fallen back asleep.

She sighed and closed her eyes again. Just before she fell asleep, she heard him mumble weakly. "No way we're keeping that cat."

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Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo???????


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's note:** Hope you'll like this chapter!!! Only two left!!! Please Read and Review!!!!!

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**Chapter 18: Pictures, Mistakes and Make up… Something.**

Hayley was sitting on a high stool down at the morgue, texting one of her friends, when Alexx pushed the doors open and walked in. "Hey Alexx!"

Alexx turned her soft brown eyes towards her and smiled. "Good morning angel! How's my baby boy Ryan doing? "

Hayley grinned, finished texting and put her phone back inside her white lab coat. "He's doing great. Almost as good as new. He can't wait to come back to work." She snorted. "Yesterday, when I came back to the apartment, I realized he had moved all the furniture in the living room, cooked meals for three days and started painting the bathroom. And all that by himself. He gets so bored."

The black woman laughed and shook her head. "I'm not surprised for one second. That boy's brain doesn't know how to just take a break. He's coming back next week right?"

Hayley nodded. "Yes. Monday morning. He'll probably be the first one in."

Alexx grinned. "I can't wait. Oh!" She grabbed her phone and looked at the screen. "We're being called to a crime scene. Four victims… Hayley, baby, we'll have a lot of work."

Hayley took off her lab coat and nodded. "Talk about starting the day early!" They both grabbed their kits and walked out of the morgue, ready for a very long day.

The last couple of weeks had been quite chaotic for Ryan. He had had to stay at the hospital five days before getting permission to go home. Having to stay seated all day in a hospital bed, with nothing to do except sleep and watch bad daytime television, had almost made him crazy. Plus, he hated hospitals. He saw germs everywhere and his constant complaining had driven Hayley (and the nurses… and the doctors) completely nuts.

She also thought all this complaining and whining was a way for him to get back at her for getting a cat without his permission… not that he would ever admit it.

Hayley had spent every day and every night with him. She had gone home to take showers, change clothes and feed the cat, but that was it. Ryan had told her to go home and sleep in her own bed, but she didn't want to. She preferred sleeping in the uncomfortable folding bed next to him than leaving him. And Ryan had known better than to argue with her.

Everyone had dropped by his hospital room almost every day. On his second day at the hospital, Horatio had come to tell him some good news. They had finally caught the guy who had shot him as he was working on the case. Turns out he was also the one who had shot and thrown the man out of the car. He had gone back to the victim's house to find cash and valuables, but had been surprised by Ryan and Natalia's arrival. He knew he would have been caught if he didn't do something, so he shot at them. He had tried hiding out, but hadn't been fast enough.

When Ryan finally made it out of the hospital, he was forced to stay home for ten more days, even if he kept telling everyone that he was fine and could go back to work. Hayley had gone back to work, leaving him alone in the apartment, with almost nothing to do except watch more television, clean and get used to the cat. He said he hated the thing, but Hayley knew he was lying. Even if he told her he would flush the ugly-orange-crap-maker down the toilet, she knew he liked it.

XXXXXX

It was after eight when Hayley finally made it back in the apartment. Exhausted, she opened the door and was greeted by… no one. The apartment was totally quiet."Hey Ryan? I'm back!" For the last couple of weeks, he was always there when she would come back, a large smile on his face.

Most of the time she would laugh, calling him her 'stay at home boyfriend', which would make him a little angry.

She put her things on the small table next to the door, took her shoes off and padded towards the kitchen. 'Um, not there either.' She was walking towards the bedroom when she noticed the door of her 'OCD-free room' was opened. She peeked inside and smiled. "There you are."

Ryan was sitting on an old brown leather chair she had insisted on keeping, going through a box. He didn't even look up at her. Hayley leaned against the door frame and crossed her arms, grinning. "Ryan Wolfe. Are you going through my personal stuff? You? The one person who goes nuts when I go through his?"

Her grin quickly disappeared when Ryan finally looked up at her, his eyes filled with disappointment. "What?"

Ryan sighed but stayed silent. He took hold of a picture he had found in the box and showed it to her. "What is this?"

Frowning, Hayley walked closer and grabbed the picture. It was one of the numerous pictures her friends and her had taken when they had visited her in Miami. On this one, she was sitting on Josh's lap and his arms were wrapped around her. They were locked in a passionate kiss.

Hayley grimaced and gave him the picture back. "Are you kidding? You're in this shitty mood because of a freaking picture?"

"You told me nothing happened."

She let out a long frustrated sigh and crossed her arms. "This was like months ago, way before Josh came alone to Miami. And we didn't have sex, if that's what you're asking. I didn't lie to you. We kissed. That's it. But we didn't do anything else."

Ryan put the picture back in the box and put it on the table. He stood and walked around her, going in the bedroom. Hayley sighed and rubbed her face. She really didn't need this tonight. She turned off the light and shut the door, following him. "I don't get why you're reacting this way. When it happened, we weren't even together." She stopped and leaned against the door frame. "When Josh came here, I chose you over him. Isn't that enough?"

Ryan was sitting at the end of the bed, holding Cap'n Crunch, the orange kitten she had surprised him with a few weeks before. He shrugged, looking down at the kitten. "You're right. We weren't official. We were only fooling around… but I guess at that point, it was more than just having fun for me. You certainly had the right to do whatever you wanted."

Hayley looked down at the floor. "Ryan… I don't know what to tell you. I know it's not much, but if I could go back and erase what I did, I would. I hate seeing you hurting like this." She sighed and rubbed her face with her hands. "And I hate myself for being the one responsible for it."

He sighed, defeated. "I just think it sucks that you told me nothing happened… and then I find proof that something did… I love you so much, I can't stand even _thinking_ about you being with someone else. So when I saw the picture…"

Hayley sighed, slowly walked up to him and kneeled in front of him. She petted the orange kitten and laid her chin on his knees. She looked up at his sad looking face. "We only kissed. We were having a lot of fun, drinking, and we kissed. Nothing more."

Ryan looked down at her, his hazel eyes searching hers. "Did you kiss the last time he came?"

She shook her head. "No. He tried kissing me, but I stopped him. Ryan, I love you. I don't love Josh. I love YOU."

"Do you still talk to him?"

She nodded. "Yes. I spoke to him right this morning. We text each other almost every day. But I also text Matt and Taylor. We're _friends._"

"I don't want you to talk to him anymore."

She groaned and shook her head. "Ryan, Josh is my FRIEND. I will NEVER stop talking to him, except if he does something that makes me WANT to stop talking to him."

It was Ryan's turn to groan as fell backwards on the bed, giving her the kitten. "You're absolutely right, as usual."

Hayley went to put the kitten on top of her pillows, but Ryan stopped her. "The cat does NOT go on the bed, Hayls. I'd like to be able to sleep without choking on cat hair."

She smiled and nodded, setting the cat on the floor and pushing it away. She climbed up on him and laid her head on his chest. "What else did you find in MY OCD-free room?"

Ryan shrugged. "Lots of other pictures I didn't really like… Lots of pictures I did like. Way too many punk CDs. A huge collection of Smurf figurines. A stuffed gorilla wearing a thong..."

Hayley pushed her face in his chest and giggled. "I love you Mr. Wolfe."

He wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes. "I hate you Mrs. Carter."

"No you don't."

"Yes, I do."

"Don't"

"Do"

"Don't"

"DO"

Hayley laughed and slapped his arm. "RYAN!!! SINCE WHEN ARE YOU SO ANNOYING???"

"I guess you're rubbing off on me." He laughed and kissed the top of her head. "Alright, I'll admit it. I do love you."

"Finally!!!!" Still smiling, she sat up, straddling him. "Now. Let me show you something I definitely DON'T do with my friends."

Holding his breath, he watched her as she pulled her bright blue tank top over her head. She lifted a hand up to her ponytail and gave him a mischievous smile. She shook her head and let her red hair fall over her shoulders. He let out a long breath and lifted his hands to caress her bare sides.

She grinned down at him and let her hands wander under his light blue t-shirt. She slowly lifted it up and gently traced the scar she found on his chest. She bent her head and let her lips dance over it, making him shiver under her touch. "Does it still hurt?"

Ryan opened his mouth to answer but moaned and rolled his eyes as he felt her tongue travelling over his skin. It had been so long…

Smiling, Hayley started making slow circles with her hips, rubbing herself against his growing need. "What was that?" She grinned against his skin as he moaned again. She brought her face up to his and brushed her lips against his, not quite kissing him. "Cat got your tongue?"

Before she even had time to react, Ryan had grabbed her by the waist and turned them over. He groaned as he captured her mouth in a bruising kiss. Hayley whimpered and parted her lips, letting his tongue invade her mouth. He kissed her hungrily, drawing little moans of pleasure from her, making him grin against her mouth. He lifted himself up on his knees and reached behind her back, unclasping her bra. He watched her as he let his hands roam over her body, her dark brown eyes looking up at him. "Ryan… stop teasing me." She was pleading with him.

Ryan pulled his t-shirt over his head and shook his head, grinning down at her passion filled face. "To answer your first question, _No_, it doesn't hurt anymore."

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SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO???????????


	19. Chapter 19

**READ AND REVIEW PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You know I LOOOOOOOOOOOVE them!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

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**Chapter 19: Rod Stewart, Odd Conversations and… OMG!**

"Let's go out."

Ryan groaned and turned on his side. They had barely woken up and Hayley was already making plans for their day off. "Don't you want to stay in? We could rent a movie or something. We could cuddle on the couch all day…" He lifted a hand and started caressing her naked side.

Hayley shook her head and also turned on her side to face him. "Nah, I want to go out."

He gave her a mischievous grin, pushed her back and moved on top of her. He grabbed her wrists and held them over her head, pinning her under his weight. "Well I want to stay in." He bent his head down and started ravaging her neck, drawing out little moans from her.

"Ry… as much as I like what you're doing… I still want to go out."

Ryan groaned in her neck and shook his head. "When you've got an idea in your head…" She pushed him off and got out of bed. He sighed and fell on his back, defeated. "… it's not in your ass." He mumbled.

He could hear water running in the bathroom and looked up when she came back in the bedroom. She went straight for her dresser and started going through it. Ryan stayed in bed and watched her silently as she chose bright purple panties and a matching bra. That's when he noticed it. Something was definitely different. "Hey, Hayls?"

"Huh?" She turned her back to him and started going through her t-shirts drawer.

"Not that I'm complaining, but, is it just me or your boobs are bigger?"

Hayley looked down at herself and shrugged. "I've probably put on some weight, don't get too excited."

He silently watched her as she pulled her jeans on and her black and white striped t-shirt over her head. 'No sex this morning I guess.' He thought, disappointed. "Any idea what you want to do?"

"I want to go shopping."

Ryan groaned and fell back on the bed again. "No way!"

"Yes way!" she answered, imitating him.

He sat up on the bed. "Hayley, we always end up fighting when we go shopping together!" He whined. Yes, Ryan Wolfe whines.

She looked at him and put her hands on her waist. "We fight because you NEVER like what I want to get!"

"You ALWAYS choose the weirdest things!!! The last time we went shopping together, you wanted me to get a t-shirt with Rod Stewart on it!"

"That t-shirt was awesome!! It would look so cool with your brown leather jacket."

He snorted and lifted an eyebrow at her. "Yeah, I would look real menacing when I'd be interrogating dangerous criminals."

She sighed and shook her head at him. "Fine! If you don't want to come, DON'T. But I'm going." She waved at him and left the room.

Ryan rolled his eyes. "Come on, Hayls, I'll go with you if it can make you happy." He sighed and looked up at the ceiling. 'I can feel another fight coming…' He thought for a few seconds and a grin slowly appeared on his face. 'Make up sex!'

XXXXX

"Hey Eric?"

Eric turned around and lifted his eyebrows at the redhead, bringing his cup of coffee to his mouth.

"Am I getting fat?"

The taller man swallowed with difficulty and grimaced. "Hhmm… Shouldn't you be talking about this with your _girl _friends?"

Hayley shrugged, stood from the couch and took a few steps towards him. "I can't. You're the only person in the break room."

Delko glanced through the glass walls, praying for someone to come to his rescue. "Can't you ask Ryan?"

She snorted. "You of all people should know, Ryan can be the best liar on the planet."

He gave a nervous laugh, still not ready to open his mouth.

Hayley put her hands on her waist and gave him an expecting look. "SO?"

Defeated, he glanced back at her and shrugged. 'Here it goes.' "No."

"No what?"

He sighed and shook his head. "Hayls, you're not getting fat."

Hayley rolled her eyes and pointed at her chest. "But look at my boobs!"

'Oh my God! PLEASE don't let Wolfe walk in here.' He cringed and shook his head. "I don't want to look at your boobs!!!"

The redhead snorted. "Why not? You always look at them. You look at everyone's boobs. Co-workers, suspects, women you cross outside of work… I even saw you staring at that guy with the man boobs yesterday."

Eric gaped and was about to retort when they were interrupted.

"Who was looking at whose boobs?" Of course, Natalia and Alexx chose that exact moment to walk in the break room.

"THANK GOD!!!!" Eric dropped his mug in the sink and ran out of the room.

Natalia pointed at his retreating form, grinning. "What's with him?"

Alexx laughed and went straight for the coffee machine.

Hayley shrugged. "I don't know." She turned around to face Natalia. "Nat, look at me." She turned on herself, frowning. "Am I getting fat?"

"Are you crazy, Hayley? You have the body of a fourteen year old."

She snorted and pointed at herself. "You are such a liar. Look at me! I got this shirt just yesterday, and it's already too tight."

Natalia rolled her eyes at her. "Hayls. Did you at least try it on at the store _before_ you bought it?"

"I never try anything on. Everything always fits me."

"Ok, first, I hate you. Second, it was probably already too small for you." She lifted an eyebrow at her. "Since when are you so preoccupied about… anything?"

Hayley hid her face in her hands and groaned. "I don't know!!!!"

"Anyway, I have to go back to work." She turned and smiled at Alexx, who was quietly sipping her coffee by the counter. "Alexx, it's your turn!"

The black woman emptied her cup in the sink and went up to Hayley, who was pouting. She took her by the shoulders and guided her out of the break room. "Follow me, baby, we'll talk."

"I love you Alexx."

"I love you too, baby."

They finally reached the morgue, where Hayley sat on one of the working tables and let out a long irritated sigh.

Alexx stood in front of her and put her hands on her knees. "Hayley, do you think there's a chance you might be pregnant?"

Hayley threw her head back and laughed. "Alexx you're so funny!!!" She shook her head at the black woman, still chuckling. "Not a chance. I'm on the pill."

Alexx gave her a soft smile and brushed a strand of hair away from the younger woman's face. "You know angel, birth control pills aren't 100% effective. How's your period?"

Hayley frowned, a puzzled look on her face. "I take the pill continuously… so I never have my period."

The dark woman only nodded, her soft knowing smile still playing on her lips.

Hayley shook her head, the smile long gone from her features. "But… I haven't had any symptoms. "

Alexx gave her another smile and nodded. "Trust me, baby, I've noticed the changes…"

She looked down, a thousand thoughts going through her head.

"Hayley, would you like to do a pregnancy test?"

The redhead wrapped her arms around herself and nodded.

XXXXX

Ryan nodded at a lab tech as he walked quickly through the halls of the crime lab. The case he was working on was a rough one, they had found about nothing that could help them break it and to make things even worse, there were about a dozen different possible suspects. He had almost reached Valera's lab when his cell phone rang.

"This is Wolfe."

"I'm pregnant."

He slowed his pace and frowned. "Huh? Who is this?"

"Ry, I'm pregnant."

Ryan stopped walking and gaped, his eyes growing huge. "Hayley?" He could feel his temperature rising. He could feel his heart beating in his ears. "Hayley, where are you?"

"Locker room."

He shut his phone, shoved it in his pocket and almost ran towards the locker room. He pushed the door open and spotted Hayley sitting on a bench. He walked up to her, stopped a few feet away from her and started pacing, clearly panicking. His face turned many different shades of red, before turning completely white. He stopped and took a long, deep breath. "What was that again?"

Hayley, who was still looking down at her feet, shrugged. "I'm pregnant."

He held his breath. "Pregnant, as…"

"As you and I are going to have a baby." She mumbled.

Ryan whimpered as his hand went to his chest and the other one held onto the closest locker. "I think I'm having a heart attack."

Hayley looked up at him and sighed, irritated. "I'm as shocked as you are Ryan. But PLEASE, stop overreacting."

"Overreacting? OVERREACTING???? HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?" He was shouting.

She glanced at him and rolled her eyes. "Well, we ARE very active…"

"Aren't you on the pill?" He had started pacing again.

She sighed and shrugged. "I am. It just… had a malfunction."

"THIS IS NOT HAPPENING!!!" He put his hands over his face and moaned like a desperate man. A few seconds later, he turned to look at Hayley, who was a little too quiet for… Hayley. The look on her face made his heart sink. 'I'm an ass.' He thought.

"Hayley, baby, I'm sorry." He sat next to her on the bench and laid his hand on her thigh. "How are you taking this?"

Hayley, who was staring at her hands, looked up at him and shrugged. "Not so bad. I've always wanted kids, just… not this soon." She sighed and her eyes went back to her hands. "I just didn't think you would react this way. And frankly, it's making me VERY nervous."

Ryan sighed, pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry. I've always wanted kids too you know. It's just… what were you thinking telling me over the phone???"

She shrugged again, still looking down. "I couldn't find you anywhere… I was this close to telling you over the intercom."

Ryan chuckled and hugged her tightly. Hayley wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his neck. "We're gonna be okay, Hayls."

She lifted her head and looked into his eyes. "Do you love me, Ryan?"

Her question surprised him. "You have doubts about my feelings for you?"

She shrugged and pursed her lips. "No… it's just… you know I don't have a father. My mom always told me he left when he found out she was pregnant… Not that I think you'd leave… "

Ryan put his hands on her cheeks and grinned, gazing into her dark brown eyes. "I love you Hayley. I will NEVER leave you."

She gave a long relieved sigh and nodded, giving him a small smile. "No more freaking out?"

He drew her face to his, kissed her lips softly and pulled back. "No more freaking out."

She let out a long sigh and laid her forehead against his. "You know what? We'll have to move again."

* * *

**Author's note:**

Okay… dilemma here… This story ends in ONE chapter…

Sooo question: Do you want me to write about Hayley's pregnancy and everything that comes after that (the birth, bringing the baby home, growing up, blablabla…) or should I stop it there, because it might be too much???

I want more than one answer!!!!


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's note: Thank you SO MUCH everyone!!!! You're all making me sooo HAPPY!!!! I love Hayley and Ryan too… **

Alright! I'm gonna keep going… I don't know for how long, though. You all have to stick with me for this one… I'm gonna have to write one chapter after the other, and being the perfectionist that I am, you might not have an update every second day…

**Keep these reviews coming alright!!! I absolutely looooove getting them! AND it motivates me to write too!**

BTW, did you all enjoy that part in chapter 19, when Hayley told Eric she had seen him stare at a guy's man boobs??? I made myself laugh with that one…

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**Chapter 20: Morning Thoughts and Crazy Driving.**

Ryan took a long deep breath and slowly opened his eyes. He turned his head towards the alarm clock next to the bed and realized he still had about forty minutes of sleep before they had to start getting prepared for work. He smiled and turned his head to look at Hayley. She was lying on her back, her head cocked in an odd angle that would probably make her neck sore. Her straight red hair was sprawled over the pillow and she was pouting, making her look younger than she really was. One of her hands was by her temple and the other one was on her belly.

They found out that they were going to be parents only two weeks ago. A couple of days later, they went to her first doctor's appointment and were told she was already three months pregnant… which meant they had less than six months left to find a new place to live in and to get ready for the arrival of this baby.

After the appointment, on the ride back to their apartment, they had come to the conclusion that it would be a good idea to buy a house together. Well, it had been his idea more than hers. Hayley had been reticent at first. In less than a year, they had started dating, they had moved in together, they had found out they were going to be parents and now, they needed to buy a house.

Funny how she had been more nervous about buying a house with him than about having a baby… But that was just Hayley being Hayley.

She had finally agreed that it would be the best thing to do, and the moment they had walked back in their apartment, Ryan had called a real estate agent to help them find a house.

The first people to be told about Hayley's pregnancy were Alexx, who was with her when she had found out, and of course Horatio, who was notified the next day. Ryan had been pretty nervous about telling his boss about the news, but Hayley had made the announcement simple. She had simply walked in the man's office, dragging Ryan with her, and had said: "Dad!!! You're gonna be a grandfather!" Horatio had seemed really happy for both of them and had told Hayley not to walk around screaming he was a grandpa, since it would make him look too old and Kyle, awfully young to be a father.

Ryan sighed and rubbed his tired eyes. Last night, the whole gang had been invited to Calleigh's place for supper, which had been a total success. Even if they had gone to bed a lot later than they were used to and still had to go to work this morning, he was happy to have been there. The food was excellent, the company was great AND they had finally told their friends about the baby.

Everybody had seemed in shock about the news at first, except for Horatio. But they quickly had gotten over the surprise and had started congratulating them. Everyone had seemed pretty happy for them. Ryan swore he had seen a hint of jealousy in Delko's eyes… maybe the man wasn't a total lost cause!

Ryan's gaze when back to Hayley's sleeping face. He still couldn't realize how lucky he was. He was completely in love with this incredible, beautiful woman, who was now carrying his child. He let his eyes wander over her deep red hair, her small nose, her full lips, her milky throat, her chest, rising with every breath that she took, and her stomach. Hayley's small white tank top had ridden up, letting him see the littlest bump under her hand.

He slowly reached over and placed his hand under her small one. He could almost cover her whole belly with his hand only. He smiled as he felt the heat radiating from her soft skin. Soon, his hand wouldn't be large enough. And soon, he would be able to feel his baby move under his hand. He couldn't wait.

He hadn't realized until now how much he wanted to be a father.

His eyes went back to her face as he heard her breathing change and a soft moan escape her lips. Her dark brown eyes fluttered open and slowly focused on his face. A smile formed on her lips as she stretched her numb body. "Hi."

He smiled back at her. "Hi."

"Have you been awake long?"

"No, I just woke up." She didn't need to know he had been staring at her for the last twenty minutes.

Hayley smiled lazily, pushed his hand away and moved to straddle his hips.

Ryan smirked and lifted his eyebrows, his hand holding her hips. "What are you doing? We have to go to work."

The redhead glanced at the clock and shook her head. "We still have… twenty minutes before we need to get out of bed." She bent her head down and started trailing soft kisses on his chest. Ryan groaned and let his hands travel down to her ass, squeezing it as she started making lazy circles over his groin.

XXXXX

"I swear, I'm NEVER gonna let you drive EVER AGAIN!!!"

Hayley rolled her eyes and followed her boyfriend as he walked quickly through the parking lot and towards the police department. "Ryan… you're overreacting. Again."

Ryan shook his head and held the door open for her. "Alright. I'm just not gonna let you drive until the baby's born."

She rolled her eyes once more and sighed as he walked passed her and stopped in front of the elevator. "Ryan…"

He lifted his hand up, stopping her from saying anything and gave her a serious look. "You drive like a maniac. Not only are you putting yourself and other people in danger, you're also putting my baby's life in danger. And I won't let you."

The doors opened and they both got onto the elevator. "My driving's fine, Ryan. I did nothing wrong."

He crossed his arms over his chest and turned to face her. "Alright, let me refresh your memory. First, you were driving with only one hand holding the wheel, since the other one was busy holding your Pizza Pocket." He grimaced. "Which, by the way, was completely disgusting."

Hayley snorted at him. "Hey! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!"

Ryan wasn't finished. "Second, you were singing and BANGING your head to… what the hell was that band anyway?"

"Pennywise."

"Right. Like I said, you're a danger to Miami. It should be against the law to listen to that music and drive at the same time."

Hayley groaned, quickly losing her patience. "Ryan!!! You are soooooooo exaggerating. First, YES I was eating while driving BUT it took me about thirty seconds to finish, and then, both of my hands were back on the wheel. And yes, I was singing and DANCING to my FAVORITE MUSIC, by the way. Not BANGING my head!!! I'm not that stupid!"

Ryan shook his head and turned away from her, staring at the still closed doors. "Whatever. YOU are NOT driving anymore."

The doors finally opened and Hayley quickly stepped on the floor, waving her hands around and walking away from him.

Ryan sighed and watched her as she made her way down the hall and finally disappeared around a corner. He was overprotective, he knew it. He just couldn't help it. He wanted everything to be perfect. He shook his head and started making his way towards Horatio's office. He'd talk to Hayley at lunch break, when she'd have calmed down.

XXXXX

A few hours later, he found her sitting at the table in the break room, texting quickly on her phone like she always did. He walked in and gave her a tentative smile. "Hi."

She grinned and glanced up at him. "Hey Ry! Give me a second."

Ryan nodded and pulled a chair next to her. She seemed in a pretty good mood. He watched her quietly as she finished typing and frowned. Something was definitely different. He could clearly remember her wearing her yellow shirt and blue jeans… but she was now clad in an orange tank top and her black bermudas. "Hayls… when did you change your clothes?"

Hayley closed her phone and shrugged. "Earlier."

"Something happened at the morgue?"

She lifted her shoulders again, still not really looking at him. "Nope. I simply went home and got changed."

Ryan sighed and nodded, not happy. "So you drove there."

"Yep."

He groaned. "Hayls…"

Hayley lifted a hand up and gave him a defying look. "Ryan, you will NOT start telling me what to do. You're not my mother. And even if you WERE my mother, I wouldn't listen to you anyway."

He sighed, defeated. She was right, again. "Were you at least careful?"

She gave him a large fake smile. "Of course not! I drove with only a finger all the way to the apartment, and I sang, danced, picked up five hairy hitchhikers and flipped the finger to absolutely everyone I crossed."

Ryan groaned and lifted his hand in surrender. "Fine. I'm too bossy. I got it. I just want to make sure you're alright."

Hayley took hold of his hands and gave him a little smile… a real one this time. "I know Ry. But, I will NOT let you act like this for six more months… I'm gonna go crazy."

He nodded and gave her a lopsided grin. "Just… promise me you'll be careful."

She smiled, brought her face up to his and brushed her lips against his. "I promise I'll be careful."

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SOoooo???? How was it?

By the way, now that I've destroyed my pretty original ending, I don't know how to end this one... I'm still thinking... so if anyone had a good idea, please tell me!!!! I hate writing and not knowing how it's gonna end...

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


	21. Chapter 21

**Author's note: **THANKS AGAIN GUYS!!!!! I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS!!!!! This chapter takes places two months later… so Hayley's about five and a half months pregnant.

Hope you all enjoy it!!!!

Keep these reviews coming!!!!

* * *

**Chapter 21: Cute Little Butts and Dangerous Jobs**

"There's my angel! How are you feeling this morning?"

Hayley turned around and smiled at the older woman who had just walked in the morgue.

"I'm doing great, Alexx!"

Alexx approached her and put her hand on Hayley's stomach. "And how's my baby doing?"

"She's even better!!!"

The black woman's smile grew even larger as she looked up at Hayley's face. "It's a little girl?!?"

She shook her head and chuckled. "We still don't know. We were supposed to find out yesterday, but the doctor wasn't able to see anything. We'll have to wait until our next appointment to know."

Ryan and Hayley had been very excited about finally finding out the sex of the baby. So when the only thing they got to see was a little butt, they were both disappointed. Ryan had said it was probably a little girl, since she was already as bad ass as her mother was. Hayley couldn't wait to know what they were going to have, but as long as the baby was healthy and had ten fingers and ten toes, she would be happy.

Alexx nodded. "Don't do that to me, baby! I can't wait to start buying gifts for this little one!"

Hayley laughed and shook her head. "I told you already! You don't have to get us anything!!!" She rolled her eyes as she saw the look Alexx gave her. "At least not until Ryan and I finally move into our new place."

"Talking about your new house, how was your visit yesterday? Is it finally the one?"

Hayley grimaced. "Nah. I didn't like it. It was too… '7th Heaven' looking. You know… white kitchen, hardwood flooring, waaaay too friendly neighbors… "

Alexx laughed. "Right! Not your type. You'll have to find one soon though."

The redhead snorted and rolled her eyes. "Well… we still have about four months…"

"Hayley…"

She let out an exasperate sigh. "I know, I know…"

The two women kept on chatting for a few more minutes until they were interrupted by their phones. They were being called to a crime scene.

"Do you want me to go, baby?"

Hayley shook her head and took her lab coat off. "Nah, I've got it. I have to get out of here, breathe some fresh air."

Alexx lifted an eyebrow at her. "Yeah, there's nothing like a good bowl of fresh air and the sight of a dead body lying in its own blood to keep you healthy." She shook her head at her. "I still don't understand why you keep coming in to work."

Hayley laughed and made her way towards the exit. "Alexx, I would go completely _crazy_ if I had to stay home all the time."

XXXXX

She made it on the crime scene about ten minutes later, which was in a very nice and calm-looking neighborhood. There were many people standing behind the police lines, probably the home owners, trying to get a better look at what was going on. Carrying her kit, she walked quickly towards the victim, a woman, who was lying in the middle of the road. She gave a quick smile to Horatio and Eric, who were both standing next to the body, and put her kit down. She put her gloves on and knelt down next to the victim.

Horatio approached her slowly. "Mrs. Carter, do we have an ID?"

Hayley searched through the victim's clothes, but found nothing. "No, there are no papers on her, nothing." She frowned and took a better look at the body. "And from the looks of it, I won't be able to tell you the cause of death either. There seems to be no entry wounds, no cuts, no blood loss..." She lifted the woman's shirt and pointed at her chest. "There are a few bruises on her upper torso and on her arms." She sighed and looked up at him. "I'll only be able to tell you more after I do the autopsy."

Horatio nodded and went back to processing the crime scene with Eric as Hayley waved at her two assistants to join her. She gathered her kit, stood and watched them as they lifted the body and laid it in a body bag. They tied it onto a stretcher, getting it ready for transport. She followed them as they brought it to the ambulance and stood behind as they started loading the body onto their vehicle.

She never heard the black car start its engine, nor did she see it driving towards them at growing speed.

XXXXX

Ryan had opened the door and jumped out before Calleigh even had time to stop the car. He ran in the hospital and stopped at the front desk. His heart was beating frantically in his chest and his hands were shaking with fear. "I'm… I'm here to see Hayley Carter."

"Mr. Wolfe."

Ryan turned around and spotted his boss, who was standing just a few feet away. He went up to him and grabbed his arm. "H! Where's Hayley? Is she alright?"

"If you'll just follow me, you'll get to see Mrs. Carter with your own eyes."

He followed Horatio through the ER and ran passed him when he spotted Hayley, who was sitting on a bed, holding her left arm against her chest. Except for the split on her arm, she looked fine . "Hayley!"

She smiled up at him as he finally reached her and took her face between his hands. He kissed her forehead and looked into her dark brown eyes. "Are you okay?"

She shrugged and showed him her left arm. "I'm fine. I just have a broken wrist. I'll survive." She sighed. "I think I'll have to cut that arm though… it can't seem to stay out of trouble."

Ryan tightened his lips and turned his head towards Horatio, who was standing by the foot of the bed. "What exactly happened?"

"She was almost run over by a car. One of her assistants was able to push her out of the way just in time, but she landed on her wrist. She was very lucky."

Ryan kissed his girlfriend's forehead again and wrapped his arm around her. "Did you at least catch the guy?"

Hayley nodded. "They got him. Turns out he was also the suspect we were looking for." She glanced towards Horatio and smiled at him. "That was an easy case, wasn't it!"

The redhead frowned and shook his head. "This isn't the way I prefer to solve cases."

Ryan put a hand on her round stomach and frowned. "What about the baby?"

"The doctor said it's fine, but she just wants to make sure. She's going to do an ultra sound in a couple of minutes."

Ryan let out a long breath he hadn't realized he was keeping. "Hayls… you have to stop working. It's too dangerous."

Hayley rolled her eyes at him. "Ryan…"

Horatio stepped in before she had time to say anything else. "I think… Mr. Wolfe is right, Hayley. We shouldn't put you in danger like this."

Hayley gaped and shook her head. "But I don't want to stay home, Horatio. I'm gonna go crazy. I'm gonna have to spend A YEAR with this baby after it's born."

The redhead nodded. "We all know that. But my decision is final."

Ryan watched as Hayley's expression went from defensive to devastated in seconds. He had seen that face before and he knew she was about to burst. "Hayley, think about the baby, okay?" Right as she opened her mouth to retort, the doctor came up to them, pushing a cart in front of her.

"Now that the father's here, let's see how this baby is doing, shall we?"

Ryan took hold of Hayley's hand and nodded. Horatio told them he would get a ride back with Calleigh and left, leaving them with the doctor, who was busy setting everything for the exam,

The doctor pushed Hayley's t-shirt up and distributed the cold gel on her stomach. She grabbed the transducer and pushed it into her belly. Ryan and Hayley stayed quiet and stared at the blurry images, trying to make out what only the doctor could really understand. The woman finally smiled and pointed at the screen. "See this? That's your baby's heart." She studied the image for a few more seconds and nodded, happy with what she was seeing. "You have absolutely nothing to worry about, everything seems perfect."

Ryan let out a long breath and kissed Hayley's temple. She gave him a large smile and looked back at the doctor. "Can you see the sex of the baby?"

"Let me see." She moved the transducer to get a better angle and nodded again. "Yes. Would you like to know?"

They both nodded their heads. "Yes!"

The doctor smiled. "Well, you're gonna be the proud parents of a little boy!"

Ryan was the first one to react. "HA! I knew it!"

Hayley smiled and rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Ryan. You thought it was a girl."

The doctor turned the machine off and gave Hayley some tissues. "Now, Hayley, what you need to do is relax and take care of yourself. No more stress, alright?"

The redhead pursed her lips and nodded. "Yes ma'am."

Satisfied, the doctor nodded and congratulated them one last time. "You both can go to the front desk to sign the paperwork and you'll be free to go home."

* * *

Give me some reviews please!!!!!!!

AND PLEEEEEASE keep thinking about these ideas for the ending.... I SOOOOOOOOOO DON'T KNOW HOW TO FINISH IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love ya all!


	22. Chapter 22

**Author's note: **Thanks for the ideas people!!! I'm gonna try to mix everything together… that way, everyone should be happy!!!

**This chapter takes place about two weeks later…. So Hayley's now 6 months pregnant.**

**R&R PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAZE!!!!!!!!!!**

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**Chapter 22: Moodiness and Dreaded Phone Calls!!!**

Ryan was in front of the bathroom mirror, putting on his tie, when he heard Hayley's cell phone ringing. It was his day off, but he had to meet with their real estate agent. He had another house to show them, and Ryan thought this might be the one… it had to be.

They didn't have much time left… and it was becoming more and more difficult to keep himself from getting things for the baby. Their apartment was way too smile to let them buy baby gear, so they had agreed they would start getting stuff only when they would have moved into their own house.

He frowned when he noticed Hayley still hadn't answered her phone. "Hayley! Your phone's ringing!"

"I know."

He gave his reflexion one last look and walked towards the living room. "Aren't you gonna get it?"

Hayley, who was sitting on the couch with her feet on the coffee table, didn't even look up from her magazine and just lifted her shoulders. "Nope. I'm busy."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah I can see that…" The ringing finally stopped and he sat next to her on the couch. "Are you sure you don't want to come visit the house with me?"

She sighed and nodded, still not looking at him. "It's gonna be a waste of time anyway. We're never going to find a house you like."

Ryan lifted his eyebrows, surprised at her reaction. "What's going on with you? You were all nice and cuddly when we woke up this morning!"

She let out a long frustrated sigh and threw her magazine on the coffee table. "EVERYTHING'S FREAKIN' WRONG WITH ME! I can't go to work, I'm bored, fat, handicapped..." She grimaced and pointed at her stomach. "And I can't even play guitar anymore because of this thing. My arms aren't long enough."

Ryan sighed and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He kissed her temple and rubbed her right arm, deciding he would keep himself from talking about hormones... He did want to see his son's birth. He was about to say something comforting when the damned phone started ringing again. "Hayley, answer it."

"Don't feel like it." She mumbled.

He gave her an irritated sigh and took the phone from the table. He looked at the display and winced. "It's your mom."

She nodded and pushed his hand away. "I know. That's why I don't want to answer it."

He smirked at her and held the phone up to her again. "You should also know she won't stop harassing you until you talk to her."

"I know."

Ryan shook his head. "Alright." He stood from the couch and brought the phone to his ear. "Hello… Clarissa! Hi!" He glanced at Hayley, who was glaring at him. "I know it's not my phone, Hayley's in the shower… No… Yeah... Sure! I'll tell her to call you as soon as she comes out. Bye." He shut the phone and smiled at Hayley, who didn't look happy at all.

"I can't believe you just did that."

Ryan rolled his eyes and smiled. "What's the problem? You used to talk to her almost every day! And she probably just wants to know how you're doing with the pregnancy."

Hayley winced and shook her head.

He snorted. "What? Don't tell me she's not excited about it, 'cause I won't believe you. My parents were stoked!"

She shrugged and looked down, suddenly finding her fingernails fascinating. "Ihaven'ttoldheraboutthebaby…" she mumbled.

Ryan's mouth fell wide open. "What??? Hayley!!! You're six months pregnant! Shouldn't you tell her BEFORE you give birth???"

Hayley groaned and lifted her hands to her forehead. "I know!!!! I'm just afraid of her reaction."

He rolled his eyes and walked around the couch to stand behind her. He bent down and kissed the top of her head, slipping the phone into her hand. "Call your mom."

"I hate you." She muttered.

Ryan sighed and straightened his back. "No you don't!" He made his way towards the door and grabbed his car keys from the small table next to it.

"Do."

He laughed and opened the door. "Don't."

"DO."

"DON'T!" He shut the door behind him before she even had time to retort.

XXXXX

Ryan had been gone for almost three hours when he walked back in the apartment. He dropped his keys on the table and looked over at the couch to see if Hayley was still there. Her magazine was on the table and the television was on, but the redhead was nowhere to be seen.

"Hayls?"

Hearing no answer, he made his way towards the bedroom and stopped when he spotted her. She was lying on the bed, holding a pillow against her chest, sleeping soundly. Capt'n Crunch, was sleeping on her pillow, just above her head.

Ryan patted towards the bed and carefully climbed on it. He reached for the cat, which had started purring for no reason, and dropped it on the floor. 'Stupid cat…' He laid down next to her slowly and brushed some hair away from her face. She stirred and opened her eyes, frowning slightly.

"Ry? You're back already?"

He chuckled and stroked her cheek. "I've been gone for three hours Hayls."

She gave him a lazy smile. "I guess I was tired."

He smiled back at her and put his hand on her waist. "Did you call your mom?"

Hayley grimaced and nodded slowly. "I did."

Ryan lifted his eyebrows, waiting for the next part.

She sighed closed her eyes again. "She was happy. WAYYYY too happy. And now, she wants to move to Miami to be closer to her grandson."

His face fell. "No." He should've never answered that phone.

"Yes. And it's all your fault."

"What did you tell her?"

"I told her that if she moved to Miami, we would run away and hide in Canada."

Ryan snorted and shook his head. "Why Canada?"

She smirked. "My father's Canadian."

He cringed. "Poor girl… OW! I was just kidding!"

Hayley laughed and shrugged. "Don't insult my blood. How was the house you visited anyway? Another no?"

"Actually, I came back to get you. You need to see that house."

She lifted her eyebrows, surprised at his eagerness. "You like it that much?"

He nodded, his smile getting even wider. "I REALLY like it. And I'm sure you'll love it too."

"Let's go then! I want a slurpee."

XXXXX

"Oh my God I can't believe it. We found a house." Ryan shut the door behind him. He wrapped his arms around Hayley's waist and kissed her neck.

The redhead chuckled and nodded her head. "We found a house! And it's perfect!"

She turned around in his arms and buried her face into Ryan's chest. The house he had taken her to visit was awesome. It wasn't too big or too small. There were four bedrooms, a large living room, a beautiful kitchen and two bathrooms. There was a nice pool in the backyard and enough trees around the house to hide from annoying nosey neighbors.

She giggled as she felt the baby kick. "I think the kid likes it too."

"Talking about _the kid_, we should really find a name for the baby. Have you finished your list?"

Hayley sighed and nodded. They had talked about names before, but always ended up arguing, since they never liked each other's ideas. So they decided to stop talking about names for a while and just write them down for later. After that, they would go over the two lists together and choose the one they both liked the most.

"Yeah, I'm done. I don't have that many names though."

Ryan shrugged and kissed her forehead. "It's okay. We'll just have to choose one of mine. Do you want to do it now?"

She shook her head. "No. I'm too tired to find good arguments for not liking your names."

"Funny."

"I know."

"Let's go sit on the couch and cuddle. I'll even let you sleep on me if you want." He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

She rolled her eyes at him and pouted. "Man my life's boring. I used to be a performer… and now, I'm a 'stay at home almost-mom'."

Ryan took her face between his hands and gave her a soft smile. "Your life isn't boring. It's different. That's all. And in about three months, you'll find it even more different."

Hayley smiled back at him and nodded. "Yeah."

He bent his head down and brushed his lips against hers. He teased her, grinning against her lips as she let out a frustrated groan. She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him down roughly, crushing her lips against his. He let go of her face and wrapped his arms around her, bringing her that much closer. He moaned and opened his mouth, deepening the kiss. Her hands left his shirt to travel down to his belt. He pulled back slightly, giving her a devious smile. "I thought you were tired."

She chuckled and finished what she was doing. "I don't need my brains to do this."

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So??? I hope you're all going to review!!!!!

**BY THE WAY!!!!! I'm Canadian… and it's so easy to laugh at Canadians!!! hihihi**


	23. Chapter 23

**Author's note: **Again, THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Makes the writing part even more enjoyable!!!!

Keep them coming!!!!

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 23: Carmen, Bloody Guts and Small Favors.**

"Are you eating?" Ryan walked in the living room and looked at Hayley, who was sprawled on the couch.

"Yes."

"But, we've just finished eating supper like, 30 seconds ago."

"So?"

"Well it's a bit early for a snack, don't you think?"

"I'm still hungry."

He crossed his arms over his chest and frowned. "You ate twice as much as I did. And I ate like a pig."

"Wow, that's very nice Ry."

Ryan rolled his eyes, pushed the cat off the couch and sat next to her. He grabbed her ankles and set them on his lap. "That kid's gonna come out looking like a sumo wrestler."

"Of course not! I'm the one taking all that weight, not him." She took a bite out of her Pop Tart and smiled happily. "Will you still love me when I'm unable to walk up the stairs up to our bedroom?"

Ryan snorted. "If you become that fat, I'm gone. I want to live long enough to see my son grow up, not choke to death as you ride me."

Hayley gaped and looked down at her round stomach. "Kid, your dad's an ass." She caressed the bump and smiled. "But don't worry! Mommy's gonna make sure you don't become one too."

Ryan laughed and threw her a pillow. He couldn't help staring at Hayley again. She looked far from fat. She was wearing baggy jeans and a very tight red t-shirt. Even six months into her pregnancy, she still looked as small as she always did. Except for her beautiful perfectly round stomach, of course…

She took the last bite out of her Pop Tart and sighed. "That kid's gonna look like you anyway. He'll have your soft brown hair, your hazel eyes, your big ears…" She sighed, defeated. "Yeah, I can already see him organizing his toy cars by size and color."

Ryan sent her an irritated look. "And what is he gonna get from you? Your smart mouth?"

She smiled proudly and caressed her enlarged belly. "Well, I'll make sure he gets my personality, since it's my best attribute."

"I think you have other very nice attributes." He wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively.

"I don't really want my kid to have boobs, Ryan… OW! Did you just pinch the mother of your unborn child?!?"

Ryan snorted. "I told you you couldn't use that card anymore." He reached into his left pocket and took out a wrinkled piece of paper. "Alright, let's give that baby a name, shall we?"

Hayley nodded, picking up her own list from the coffee table. "You start. What's your first crappy name?"

Ryan gave her a dark look. "Don't start Hayley. And remember, no arguing."

She smirked and waved around. "Yeah yeah, I know. Now go ahead, read it."

"Justin."

"Never."

He snorted. "Why? It's a nice name!"

"Ryan, an image of Justin Timberlake just popped in my head. Not good."

He sighed and nodded reluctantly. "Alright. What's _your_ first choice?"

"Josh." She stayed dead serious, watching his face as he sent her a dark look.

"You're kidding, right?"

She giggled. "You should see your face!!! Of course I'm kidding, Ry." She ignored his glare and looked at her piece of paper. "Marley."

"As in… Bob Marley?"

"Yep."

He snorted. "No way. I don't want my kid to even THINK of getting dreadlocks."

She pouted. "But he's a legend."

"Sure… but no."

She let out an irritated sigh. "Okay. Your turn."

"Steven."

She laughed. "Not a chance in hell."

"What's wrong with Steven?"

"I knew at least ten guys by that name, and they were all bastards."

He sighed. "Fine. Your turn."

"Carmen."

He winced. "That's a girl's name."

"No. It's a boy's name."

He shook his head. "I know lots of girls named Carmen."

She shook her head. "Still a boy's name."

"No way my kid's gonna be named Carmen."

She rolled her eyes at him and sighed. They HAD said no arguing. "Alright. Next one."

"Zachary."

She thought for a second and grinned. "I like Zack."

"Zack. Zack Wolfe. It does sound pretty good."

She nodded. "And Zack is an excellent name for a rock star."

"Or a cop."

" We'll see about that."

Ryan sighed, happy with their choice. AND they hadn't even fought, which was an achievement in itself.

"Hey! What about his middle name?"

Alright… maybe he had thought too fast.

XXXXX

"Good morning, Mrs. Carter."

Hayley turned as she heard Horatio soft voice and gave him a large smile. "Hey dad!" She gave him a quick hug and pulled back. "Now before you say anything, I'm not here to work, I'm here for a visit."

The redhead grinned and nodded his head. "We're always glad to have you around. How have you been?"

"Frankly, I'm bored out of my skull. But health wise, everything's perfect." She lifted her left arm up and showed him her splint. "I'm only gonna get this thing off in about a month though."

"Well, it's better now than with a baby to carry around."

She smiled at his comment. "You're absolutely right, as usual." She lifted her eyebrows and waved around. "Is it okay if I take a walk, talk to some people? I miss everyone so much."

"Take your time. You're always welcomed here, Hayley."

"Thanks."

She gave him one last smile and made her way down the hall, waving and smiling at the people she crossed. She stopped by Valera's lab, chatted with her for a few minutes and left her to go back to work. Her next stop was at the morgue, where she knew Alexx would be working.

Hayley smiled as she quietly pushed the door open and patted towards the black woman, who had her back turned to her. She lifted her hand to touch her shoulder, ready to surprise her friend.

"You know, Hayley baby, you should never surprise someone who is holding a scalpel."

Hayley let her hand fall and pouted. "How did you know it was me???"

Alexx turned around and cocked her head, giving her a warm smile. "You're the only one I know who can walk into a room and be light enough not to make a sound, even if she's pregnant." She put her bloody tool down and took off her gloves and dirty lab coat. "I need to give you a hug, angel. I'm so happy to see you!"

Hayley gave her a wide smile and hugged the woman back. "I miss you so much, Alexx!!!"

The older woman pulled back and squeezed her arms. "And I miss you too." She laid one of her hands on Hayley's swollen stomach. "How's my beautiful baby boy doing?"

"He's doing awesome. He already loves punk music and brownies. And I think he's got my hyperactivity too!"

Alexx laughed and nodded. "I can't wait to meet him. You're here for a visit?"

"Yeah, I miss the place so much!" She lifted her chin towards the body. "I'd do ANYTHING to be the one with her hands inside that guy's guts right now."

Alexx laughed, shaking her head. "Baby, you're taking care of yourself right now, that's what's most important. I heard you finally found a house! When are you moving in?"

"In two weeks. Ryan and I still need to paint a few rooms before we move in."

"Well, ask me if you need any help, alright? I'd be happy to give you a hand."

Hayley smiled and nodded. "Sure, we'll gladly accept anyone who wants to help." She pointed over her head and grinned. "I'm gonna go back upstairs, see if I can catch the others before I go back home."

Alexx gave her one last hug. "I've got to go back to work anyway. I'll see you in a couple of days, alright? I don't want to wait another two weeks before seeing you again."

The redhead squeezed her back and sighed. "I miss you already." She left Alexx to her work and went back up to the lab. She walked through the halls, looking through the glass walls and finally spotted Eric, Calleigh, Natalia and Ryan, all sitting in the break room.

She walked in and frowned, her hands on her hips. "You guys never work, do you!?!"

They all turned their heads towards her and smiled, surprised. "Hayley! What a nice surprise!!!!" Calleigh quickly stood from her chair and walked around the table to give her a hug, followed by Eric and Natalia.

Ryan pulled out the chair next to his and kissed her as she sat down. "You didn't tell me you were coming over for a visit!"

Hayley gave him a sickly sweet smile and patted his cheek. "Sorry, but I'm not here to see you, Ry. I see you every day."

They all laughed at her comment, even Ryan, who shook his head at his girlfriend.

Natalia reached across the table and took her hand in hers. "Well it's really nice to see you, Hayls, we all miss having you around here!"

"Thanks Nat."

Eric chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, as long as you don't start asking me if you're fat, I'm always glad to see you!"

Hayley snorted and pointed at herself. "Well, you should be okay… now, I KNOW I'm fat."

They all shook their heads and groaned. Natalia stood from her chair and started towards the door. "Hayley! I can only _wish_ to look like you if I ever have a baby."

Eric nodded and slapped Ryan's back. "Yeah! It looks like you impregnated a fourteen year old, Wolfe!"

Everyone laughed, except for Ryan, who just glared at his friend.

Natalia, who was now standing by the doorway, gave Hayley an apological smile. "Well, it was nice seeing you again, but I have to go back to work. You call me if you need anything."

Hayley smiled and nodded. "Sure will."

They all waved at Natalia and turned towards Ryan, who was clearing his throat. "Guys, Hayley and I have something to ask you."

His girlfriend gasped and slapped his arm. "Now?"

Ryan shrugged. "Why not? You're here, I'm here, they're here. There's no reason to wait!"

Hayley nodded. "Alright. You say it." She crossed her arms over her belly and raised an eyebrow at him.

He shook his head. "Nah, you do it."

"No."

"Yes."

Calleigh lifted her arms up and let out a long frustrated sigh. "Guys!!! Feels like I'm watching a daytime drama right now. Just tell us already!"

Ryan rolled his eyes and crossed his hands on the table. "Well, Hayley and I wanted to ask you if… you'd like to be our son's godparents."

The blond woman jumped up from her chair and gave them a warm hug, a huge smile plastered on her face. "Why were you so nervous? I would love to!!!!"

All three of them turned to look at Eric, who still hadn't said a word. "So??? Do you want to do it or not?"

The Cuban squinted, looking unsure. "Are you sure you want _me_ to be your son's godfather?"

Hayley shrugged and gave him a bright smile. "I'm sure you'll be great! And, maybe it will help you to finally start feeling like settling down."

Ryan nodded, agreeing with her. "Sure. I think it's a great idea. AND I will LOVE to watch you changing diapers full of baby shit."

Eric grimaced and stood up. "Alright, I'll do it. But I'm not changing no Wolfe crap."

Hayley squealed and gave the taller man a hug. "Yes! I'm so happy! You guys are gonna be great!"

Ryan shook his friend's hand and chuckled. "I'm glad it's settled than! AND we already have a job for you! You guys have to help us move into our new house!"

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REVIEW PLEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASE!!!!!!!!!! ^_^


	24. Chapter 24

**Author's note: **Hey everyone! Hope you're all still enjoying the story…

PLEAAAAAAAAAAASE keep these** reviews** coming!!! And again, if you got any ideas, feel free to tell me!!!!

**Chapter 24: Tuna Sandwiches, Pizza and Ugly Gifts**

"Feels like I just moved here yesterday."

"Hayls, we've been living together for almost 9 months now." Both of them were working on preparing boxes for the big move, which was two days later. Ryan was emptying the kitchen cupboards as Hayley was sitting on the living room floor, in front of the wall unit, putting away all their CDs and DVDs.

She shook her head and sighed. "You SO take me for granted." She mumbled.

"What was that? I can't really hear you when you groan at me!"

"I said, YOU TAKE ME FOR GRANTED!"

Ryan grinned and shook his head. If there was something he liked about being with Hayley, it was the fact that she was like absolutely no other woman he had ever been with. If he asked her what was wrong, he would get a straightforward answer, no false 'I'm fine' crap. Every man's dream.

He set the last cup on the counter and went in the living room, still smiling. "Hayley…" He went down on his knees behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm not taking you for granted, you crazy pregnant woman."

Hayley was now almost seven months pregnant, and frankly, he would've never thought a pregnancy could be so easy. He had heard all these horror stories about hormonal women who would freak on their boyfriends, but he had had none of that with Hayley. Sure, she reacted strangely sometimes and also looked for fights once in a while, but that was just a normal Hayley. The only difference was the fact that she was pregnant.

Ryan let his hands travel down to her enlarged stomach and kissed her neck. "I love you."

She sighed and put her hands over his. "I want a sandwich."

Ryan snorted and shook his head. "You know there's nothing eatable in the fridge Hayley. AND you've JUST finished your last Pop Tart. All we have left is ketchup."

She shrugged. "So bring me the ketchup. And a spoon."

He grimaced and kissed her temple before standing up. "No way I'm letting my pregnant girlfriend eat a spoonful of ketchup. Tell me what you want and I'll go get it for you."

Hayley lifted her head up at him, her eyes sparkling. "Ooooooo… could I be pregnant, like, forever? I'm definitely enjoying that side of you."

Ryan rolled his eyes and stayed quiet, waiting for her to tell him what she wanted.

"Alright. I'll have… a tuna sandwich."

"Hayls, I just offered to get you anything you want… and you want a tuna sandwich?"

"That's what I feel like eating!"

He sighed and nodded. "Fine. I'll go get you a tuna sandwich." He grabbed his wallet and keys from the table and started towards the door.

"RYAN!!!!"

Ryan heart stopped as he heard her scream. He dropped everything and ran back in the living room, panicking. "What is it? Are you alright? TALK TO ME!"

Hayley turned her head and showed him her hand… which was holding a CD. "_Nsync_???"

The only thing Ryan could think of as he picked up his keys and wallet from the floor was 'pregnantpregnantpregnantpregnant…'

XXXXX

"Lunch is here!!!!" Hayley made her way through the house and dropped the three large pizzas on their brand new kitchen counter.

Eric was the first one to join her. "Great, I'm starved!" He was soon followed by Ryan, Calleigh and Alexx.

The black woman frowned as she looked at the food Hayley had got for them. "Hayley, we're never going to eat all of this!"

The redhead lifted an eyebrow and pointed at the two men, who were already in the process of shoving a whole slice of pepperoni pizza in their mouths.

Alexx grimaced and nodded. "Right." She shook her head, watching them as they reached for their second slice. "Guys, this is my day off. I'm not gonna help you if you choke on your dinner because you were too lazy to chew it."

Ryan nodded, grabbed two cans of Coca-Cola and threw one at Eric.

All three women looked at each other. "Ew…."

Hayley grabbed a slice and started eating it, her eyes wandering around her new house. They had started moving the furniture and the boxes that same morning, and were already almost done. The two men had been very efficient with the large furniture and heavy boxes, and Calleigh and Alexx had been a big help with the smaller things. Hayley, on the other hand, was kept from doing anything. And Ryan and Alexx had both made sure she wouldn't get her hands on any of the boxes.

The olive green kitchen was a mess, the black counters covered with numerous boxes and items. She had started emptying some of the boxes they had put in the living room, and she already knew they would have to buy a lot of new stuff to make the room look nice. The living room was red and chocolate brown, which didn't fit at all with their couch. Still, it would have to work for now, since they had to spend a lot of money on baby furniture.

They hadn't spent a lot of time on choosing the color for their new master bedroom, since Hayley had already decided she liked the dark blue that had used in their old one. However, choosing the color for the room next to theirs had been a lot more difficult. It was their son's nursery.

In Ryan's mind, a girl's bedroom had to be pink and a boy's bedroom had to be blue. Hayley, on the other hand, wanted it to be purple. After a lot of arguing, they had finally agreed for a light green for the walls, and a few blue and purple highlights in the room. They hadn't finished setting everything in it, but she could already see it. The nursery would look awesome.

She sighed and turned her attention back on her friends. "I don't know how we'll ever be able to repay you for everything you've done for us."

They all shook their heads and smiled. Calleigh put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's our pleasure, babe. The fastest we can help you guys get everything set up, the fastest you'll be able to relax and get prepared for the arrival of my godson."

Eric snorted and swallowed his huge bite forcefully. "I can think of a way you could repay me!"

Hayley raised an eyebrow at him. "And what would that be?"

"You could give him my name!"

Ryan shook his head, grinning. "No way, his name's already chosen. It's Zack."

"So??? Zack Eric Wolfe!"

Hayley laughed and picked another slice of pizza from the box. "The middle name's chosen too. It's Carter."

"Zack Carter Wolfe? But Carter's your last name, Hayls!"

She nodded, smiling proudly. "Exactly!"

Ryan lifted his hands up, defeated. "Hey, I'm the one who found the name, so she had the right to choose the middle name!"

Eric shook his head and grabbed his fourth slice. "Alright! Let's get this over with! I have a hot date tonight, and I don't want to be late."

XXXXX

"HAYLEY!!! GET DOWN FROM THERE!!!"

Hayley glanced over her shoulder and lifted an eyebrow at her boyfriend. "I'm standing on a chair, Ryan, not bungee jumping."

Ryan sighed heavily and came up behind her to put his hands on her waist, supporting her. "Can't you just _ask me_ when you want to do things like this?"

Hayley snorted at him. "What… decorate?"

He rolled his eyes and helped her get down from the chair. "I'm just looking out for you, Hayley. And stop being so sarcastic about everything."

"I know, I know…" The red head grinned at him and turned around to look at her work. "Looks good doesn't it!"

Ryan looked over her head and winced. "Do we HAVE to put that in our son's nursery?"

"What? My mom painted it just for him! We can't NOT hang it here!" She took his hands and wrapped his arms around, his hands covering her belly. "I think she's getting better and better!"

"It's ugly."

"It's not that bad. It's… colorful."

"It looks like barf."

"You have to use your imagination."

"Zack's gonna have nightmares."

"RYAN! It's a gift from his grandmother."

"My mom sent cute little outfits and a teddy bear."

"How original."

Ryan let out a long defeated sigh. He just wouldn't win this one. "Are you ready to go? The whole team must be waiting for us."

Hayley nodded and turned around. "Yep. How do I look?"

Ryan took a step back and let his gaze travel over her body. She was wearing tight black jeans (maternity of course) and a tight black t-shirt with a long red tank top over it. "How can you be seven months pregnant and still look so good?"

She gave him a large smile and winked at him. "You really know what to say to keep your pregnant girlfriend happy."

Ryan smirked and took one of her hands in his, leading her out of the nursery and down the stairs.

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Sooooooo?????? What did you think? How was it? TELL ME!!!!!! Good or bad, I don't care!!! JUST TELL ME!!!!

By the way… I've finished it. This story officially has 26 chapters… so only two left, people!!!! (Frankly… this could go on forever… But I'll stop it right here… before it gets too much.)


	25. Chapter 25

**Author's note: **Me thinks me loves you all!!!!

Please keep these reviews coming!!! I love them so much!!!

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**Chapter 25: Trips to far far away land and trips to the… doctors?**

Ryan groaned and shook his head stubbornly. "I don't think it's a good idea."

"Well, you're going!"

He dropped his bag by the front door and turned to look at Hayley. "Shouldn't you be the one telling me NOT to go??? You're eight and a half months pregnant! I can't leave you here alone!"

Hayley rolled her eyes at him and sighed. "We've had that conversation a million times, Ryan. I'm pregnant. Not handicapped. Besides, I've got a phone and close friends who are going to be there if anything happens."

He shook his head, frowning. "I still don't like it." He really REALLY didn't like it.

"Come on. Capt'n' Crunch is here to protect me."

Ryan glanced down at the orange cat, which was sprawled at his feet. "It's just a stupid cat, Hayls. All it does is eat, sleep and stare at me."

She snorted at him. "You're such a liar. You love that cat as much as I do. I heard you talking to him the other day."

"Maybe. I was probably telling it to get out of my way." He pulled a face and shook his head. "Anyway, stop trying to change topic, Hayls. I'd really like you to go stay with someone while I'm gone."

She shook her head and crossed her arms over her stomach. "Nope. I'm staying here, and that's final."

Ryan let out a long irritated sigh and scratched his eyebrow. A series of murders had been committed in a small town outside Miami, and Horatio was sending him and Natalia to investigate. The only problem was that this town was at a four hour drive away from Miami. This meant they would have to stay in a hotel for a few days while they processed the crime scenes.

He had tried exchanging places with Calleigh and Eric, but it had turned out impossible. Calleigh's expertise was needed for a case they were working on in Miami and Eric was off for a few days and was leaving the city.

Horatio had understood his anxiety and had assured him he wouldn't be gone for more than three days. Ryan had had no choice but to reluctantly agree, but still hated the idea of leaving his eight and a half months pregnant girlfriend home alone.

"What if something happens to you?"

"Ry, all I do is pee, sit on the couch and eat disgusting food. What do you think will happen to me?"

"What if… you go into labor? What if I'm not there for the birth of my baby? Because that's what happens in all the movies. The guy leaves his pregnant wife for a few days and BAM! The baby wants out!"

She rolled her eyes at him. "We still have two weeks before he's born, maybe more." She sighed and gave him an encouraging smile. "You can call me every half hour if it makes you feel better, alright? I won't scream or be mad at you."

Ryan pouted and reached for her hand. He pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. "Don't laugh at me…"

Hayley gave him a playful grin and kissed his chin. "I just love laughing at you." She lifted her face up and kissed his lips softly, before pulling away. "Now go. Nat is waiting for you."

He sighed and grabbed his bag before opening the front door. "Alright, I'm going. Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone."

Hayley lifted her hands up in defeat and shook her head. "Hey, I was just about to go sit in the living room and maybe take a nap, but I'll try to behave myself."

Ryan rolled his eyes at her and shut the door behind him.

XXXXX

"Hayley?" Alexx frowned and walked in the kitchen. She put her purse and the take out bags on the counter and went searching for the redhead. She had knocked at the front door and rang the bell at least three times before letting herself in, using the key the young couple had given her. Hayley's car was in the driveway so she had to be in the house.

Getting slightly nervous, she made her way towards the master bedroom. "Baby? Where are you!" She opened the door and peeked inside, rolling her eyes at what she saw. Hayley was lying on the bed, her earphones plugged into her ears. She had managed to fall asleep listening to punk music. The volume was so loud; Alexx could actually hear the fast beats from the door.

Alexx smiled and walked up to the bed. She sat next to her, careful not to make her jump, and laid her hand on her shoulder. Hayley opened her eyes and looked up at her, quickly pulling the earphones out of her ears. "Alexx! Hi! I didn't hear you come in!"

The black woman lifted her eyebrows at her and shook her head. "I don't know why. Maybe it's because of the fact that you've probably destroyed your eardrums by now."

Hayley snorted and slapped at her friend's leg. "My hearing's fine." She put her Mp3 player on the pillow next to her and extended her arms. "Now help me roll out of this bed before I wet the sheets and have you clean it."

"Yes ma'am." Alexx stood up and helped her stand up. "Baby, you're so big, I don't know how you still manage to stand upright."

The redhead laughed and shook her head. "I know. But I feel great!" She laid her hands on her huge stomach. "This kid's just really heavy, and I get tired easily. But after a quick nap, I'm up for anything!"

Alexx grinned and put an arm around her shoulders. "Are you up for some food? I brought Chinese, just like you ordered!"

"Have I ever told you how much I love you Alexx?"

Grinning, she winked at her. "I think you told me once or twice."

Hayley went to the bathroom and Alexx went back to the kitchen, where she had left the food. She opened the bags and set everything on the table. "I'm so hungry!" Hayley sat heavily on her chair and dug into the food happily.

"When is Ryan due back?"

Hayley lifted her eyebrows and swallowed. "Tonight. He called me a couple of hours ago and told me Nat and him would make it back in Miami some time during the night. They'll have to stop at the lab to drop the evidence first."

The two women kept on chatting all through supper, which didn't last long, since Hayley pretty much swallowed everything without even chewing it. After they were done, the redhead stood up and brought the boxes to the garbage. "Oh!"

Hayley put her hand on her swollen stomach and cringed. "Alexx?"

The older woman finished cleaning the table and turned around to look at her. "Yes?"

"Something's happening."

Alexx smiled at her. "The baby's kicking hard again?"

She shook her head slowly, not really liking what she had started feeling. "No, something different."

Alexx frowned and walked up to her. "What is it?"

Hayley opened her mouth to answer her question but stayed quiet as her eyes grew larger. "Oops." She looked down, frowning.

"What?"

"I think… my water broke. Thank God I'm wearing pants, or I'd have to wash the floor."

Alexx gasped and put a hand on the younger woman's shoulder. "Your water broke? Honey, don't tell me you're having the baby!"

Hayley shook her head in disbelief. "No no no, it's too early! I still have two weeks to go!"

She put her hand on Hayley's cheek and gave her an encouraging smile. "If the baby decided it's time, you don't really have a say in this." She waited for the younger woman to smile before continuing. "Now, I've got to get you to the hospital! And you have to call Ryan!"

Hayley took Alexx's hands in hers, shaking her head. "No! Don't call Ryan! If he finds out I've gone into labor, he's going to drive like a maniac to come back to Miami. It's too dangerous." She breathed deeply, trying to keep herself from panicking. "He'll be back in a few hours. I could be in labor for HOURS before I have the baby. He'll just have to join me at the hospital when he comes back."

Alexx raised her eyebrows, still uncertain. "It's your call, baby. But I still think we should tell him!"

The redhead shook her head and thought for a few seconds. "I know what we'll do! We'll call Natalia and tell her. She'll tell Ryan when they get in Miami. Trust me, I know Ryan, he's gonna freak…. OW." She stopped and grimaced, putting a hand over her stomach. "That's what a contraction feels like?"

Alexx took her elbow and guided her out of the kitchen. "Alright, we'll call Natalia on our way to the hospital. Is your bag ready?"

Hayley shook her head. "No! I still had two weeks to do it, remember! I'll go make one right now!"

"I'll give you a hand."

"Alexx, I'm so happy you're here!"

"You shouldn't be alone for this, Hayley. Now let's get you prepared."

XXXXX

Natalia glanced at her watch for the thousandth time in the past three hours. They had been driving back to Miami for an hour when Alexx had called her on her cell. In a few words, she said Hayley had gone into labor, but didn't want her to tell Ryan. She had asked her to wait until they were in Miami before telling him about it. Clearly, they didn't want him to start panicking, which she was thankful for. She WAS the one in a car with him…

Right after she hung up the phone, Natalia had made up a little lie and told Ryan to drive a little faster, telling him she wanted to get back to Miami early to see a friend who needed her help.

She let out a long relieved sigh as they finally entered Miami.

Ryan lifted his hands to his face and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I can't wait to get back home, sleep in my own bed."

She nodded, keeping her eyes on the road as she followed the way that would take them to the hospital. "Yeah, me too."

"Promise me we won't spend too much time at the lab, alright? We walk in, leave the evidence, and walk out."

"Right… But you know what? I'll do it. You have to get to the hospital."

"Huh?" he looked out the window and realized they were driving the wrong way. "What are you doing?"

"Ryan, it wasn't my friend who called me in the car… it was Alexx. She didn't want me to tell you before we got back in Miami but… Hayley's at the hospital. She's gone into labor." Here it goes…

"WHAT??? SHE'S HAVING THE BABY AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME??!?!??"

Natalia rolled her eyes. She had expected that reaction, so that's why she had taken the wheel halfway to Miami. "What would it have changed? We didn't want you to start driving like a maniac to get back here! Alexx told me she would call if anything happened, and she hasn't. Hayley's at the hospital, waiting for you to join her."

Ryan moaned and put his head in his hands. "I knew it! I knew I should've never left her! That kid just couldn't wait for me to be there. Noooo he HAD to choose the only time I wasn't there to come out."

"Ryan, we'll be there in ten minutes. Relax."

But he didn't. The moment they finally reached the hospital, he was out of the vehicle, running inside the building.

XXXXX

Alexx winced and glanced at Hayley, who was lying on the hospital bed. "Do you hear that?" Loud horror-movie-like screams could be heard coming from another room.

Hayley nodded, grinning. "Yes. My GOD it sounds so painful."

The black woman shook her head, pointing towards the door. "That's someone who hasn't taken any drugs."

She grimaced. "I don't know how some women do it. Without the epidural, I would've already hung myself with the I.V."

"HAYLEY!!!!"

Both woman looked up and smiled as Ryan finally made it inside the room, looking as if he had just run a marathon. "Hey, Ry!"

He quickly crossed the room and grabbed her hand, panting. "What's going on where's the baby are you in pain do you want me to get a nurse?"

Hayley giggled and shook her head. "Breathe, Ryan. I'm fine."

Alexx laughed and gave her one of her looks. "Yeah, she's okay now that she's had her epidural. You should have heard what was coming out of her mouth before she got the drug." She stood from the chair she was sitting on and offered it to Ryan.

Ryan took it but was way too nervous to sit on it. "What now? We wait?"

Hayley nodded and took his hand, smiling. "Yep. We wait. My water broke a little more than four hours ago. Everything's been going pretty slow so… sit down and relax."

He breathed deeply and kissed her softly on the lips and sat down next to ger, holding her hand.

* * *

Hey!!! The baby's coming!!! But I won't describe the delivery in the next chapter… I just don't feel like it. Anyway, I'm sure you can all imagine how it would go!!!

Review the chapter please!!!


	26. Chapter 26

**Author's note**: ALRIGHT!!!! I wasn't planning on writing about the birth and all… but some of you guys have told me they would like to read about it… so I wrote it. THERE. HAPPY???? ^_^

Yeeeehhhh! Another chapter left!!!

Read and Review pleeeaaaaaase!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

* * *

**Chapter 26: Deliveries, Little Wonders and McDonald's**

Ryan cringed and laid a soft hand on Hayley's arm as she whimpered again, her face torn in pain. He felt completely exhausted but kept himself from saying anything about it, since he wasn't the one with the worst part to deal with. If there was something he was happy about right now, it was the fact that he wasn't a woman.

"I never got the memo telling me an EPIDURAL could WEAR OFF!!!"

"Hayley calm down… everything's gonna be okay." Ryan sighed and shook his head at his words. He had been repeating the same thing over and over again and that, for the last thirty minutes.

Everything had been going great. Hayley hadn't been feeling any pain and had kept going in and out of sleep. He even had the chance to sleep too, which he had been thankful for, since he hadn't had that much sleep during his time away from Hayley. However, as he was sleeping, a whimpering Hayley had thrown a pillow at his head, forcing him to wake up. Seems the epidural she had been given had started wearing off. And she wasn't happy with the turn of events.

They had talked to the doctor, who had told them these things could happen. But when Hayley had asked for another shot, they had decided she was too far along.

The doctor had left the room, saying she would be back in a few minutes, to have her start pushing.

That's when Hayley had started freaking out.

"Do you want to listen to some music? That could relax you."

"Do you KNOW what I'm going through right now?"

"… do you want me to sing you another song? Because I will if it makes you feel better."

"GOD no…"

"Well it was working a few minutes ago!"

"Ry, the only reason why I asked you to sing for me was because I couldn't STAND hearing you talk anymore."

He pursed his lips and sighed, scratching his left eyebrow nervously. "Hayls, baby, you have to tell me what to do because I have NO CLUE."

She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. "Give me your phone."

"You're about to give birth, Hayley."

"I don't care. Give. Me. Your. Phone."

He sighed and shook his head slowly, trying to sound as understanding as possible. " Hayls… we can't use cell phones in a hospital."

"GIVE ME YOUR FREAKING PHONE BEFORE I JUMP OUT OF THIS BED AND PUSH YOU OUT THE WINDOW!!!!"

Ryan's eyes grew wide as he quickly reached for his phone. "Alright, alright. You don't have to scream, you know." He took the phone from his pocket and offered it to her. "Who do you want to call anyway? It's two in the morning!"

She opened her eyes and grabbed it, quickly dialing a number. "My mom."

He couldn't keep himself from frowning at her. "Wow. I didn't see that one coming. Your mom? Really?"

"Yes…" She stayed quiet as she waited for her mother to answer, her face white. "Mom?"

Ryan's face fell when he saw his girlfriend do something he would've never thought she would ever do. She started crying. For her mom.

She was crying so hard, she wasn't even able to say a thing to her mother, who was probably freaking out on the other line. He shook his head and reached for the phone, untangling her fingers from it. Hayley let it go, too weak from all her crying and the pain she was feeling to resist.

Ryan brought the phone to his hear and grimaced when he heard Clarissa's voice. However, instead of _'I told you so' _or _'You should've never let him get you pregnant'_, Hayley's mother was being… a mother. She was softly trying to calm her daughter.

"Clarissa, hi."

"_Hi Ryan. SO I see the moment has come! The baby's coming."_

Ryan nodded and sat down next to Hayley on the bed, caressing her hair softly. "Yeah. Everything's fine… Hayley's just panicking because of the pain."

"_Everything's gonna be fine. You know, many women say you forget about the pain once they finally put the baby in your arms…"_

"Yeah, that's what…"

"_Tell her it's not true."_

He gaped and shook his head. "Hmm, Claris…"

"_Tell Hayley the pain she's about to go through will follow her for the rest of her life, and the baby is only an ointment."_

"Thank you, Clarissa. I'll tell her."

"_Yes. And you'll call me back the moment my grandson is born alright? Take tones of pictures. I'll come visit really really soon."_

Ryan cringed as Hayley started crying again when another strong contraction hit her. "We can't wait! Listen, I've got to go. We'll call you." He shut his cell phone and shoved it back in his pocket, kissing Hayley's head.

The redhead hiccupped and gazed up at him, her eyes puffy and tired. "What did my mom say?"

He smiled down at her and shrugged. "She said to be strong. And she wants you to know it's… not as bad as people say!"

Hayley snorted and lifted her hands up to her face, wiping her eyes. "You're such a liar. She probably said that this would be the worst experience of my life."

He grinned and kissed the top of her head. "Well she didn't say THAT."

XXXXX

Hayley woke up slowly and frowned, looking around the dimly lit room. Spotting Ryan still asleep on the small camp bed, she sighed and looked for the other most important person in her life. She turned her head and saw that the nurses had left the bassinet next to her bed. She slowly sat on the bed and put her feet on the ground, grimacing at the slight pain she felt from the movement. She still felt very sore from the delivery, but at the moment, she didn't care. She took the few steps separating her from the bassinet and peeked inside.

There laid the most precious little thing she had ever seen.

Smiling, she reached inside and picked up the sleeping newborn, holding him close to her as she went back to her bed and sat down. The baby was tightly wrapped in a light blue blanket and a small white hat was covering the soft brown hair she knew was hiding under it.

As she gazed down at her son, Hayley couldn't keep her heart from tightening in her chest. She would've never thought she would be able to love something as much as she loved Zack. And she had met him just a few hours ago.

"Hey, you're awake." She heard a whisper coming from the other side of the room. Looking up, she saw that Ryan was smiling, openly staring at them.

"Yeah." She looked back at her baby and smiled. "I could stare at him for hours…"

"I could stare at both of you for hours."

Hayley rolled her eyes at him and went back to staring at the baby. "I've been looking at his face… trying to find something that's me in him… and there's nothing." She pouted and pulled off his little hat carefully. "And with the hair it's even worse."

Ryan snorted and stood up from the uncomfortable bed. He walked towards them and sat down next to her, looking down at his son. He couldn't deny it. Zack was his son. Everything on this kid screamed Ryan Wolfe; from his soft brown hair, already sticking in every direction, to his small thin lips. Ryan grinned and shook his head. "I think he looks a lot like you when he's crying."

Hayley gaped at him and slapped his chest, making the baby whimper.

Ryan chuckled and held out his arms, taking the baby from her arms. "See? Zack doesn't want you to hit his daddy." His movements were a lot slower and more careful than Hayley's. He still wasn't used to holding something so small. "What time is it?"

Hayley sighed and looked at the clock. "It's almost nine. I'm kind of hungry."

He nodded, his gaze still locked on the newborn. "The nurses will probably bring you some food, soon."

XXXXX

Ryan sighed as he watched Hayley's disgusted face. She had just gotten her breakfast and was clearly unhappy about what she had to eat. "Come on, Hayley. You need to eat."

Hayley grimaced as she picked up her fork and started poking at the food. "It's not very appetizing. Couldn't you go get me McDonald's or something?"

"You don't eat McDonald's, Hayls."

"No. But it would probably taste better than this crap."

Ryan was about to retort when they heard someone knocking at the door.

"Knock, knock." They both turned their head as Alexx slightly pushed the door open and peeked inside. "Can we come in?"

Ryan stood from his chair and went to greet his friends. "Sure!"

Alexx walked in and opened her arms, giving him a warm motherly hug. "Congratulations, baby!!!" She kissed his cheek and went up to Hayley, who had pushed the food out of the way and was waiting for her own hug. "Oh, Angel, I'm so proud of you!"

"Thank you!" She looked over Alexx's shoulder and saw Horatio, Calleigh, Eric and Natalia walk in. "Please, tell me you brought food."

They all laughed and shook their heads. Eric walked up to her and gave her a quick hug. "Who told you this visit was about you? We're just here to see the baby."

Natalia slapped his arm and shook her head. "No way, we're here to see all three of you." She hugged her and pulled back, looking down at her friend. "You know, for a woman who's just given birth, you look awesome."

Hayley touched her hair, which was tied in a messy ponytail, and grimaced. "Shut up, Nat, I look like death."

Calleigh gave Ryan a hug and laughed. "I know we're way too many visitors at the same time, but Horatio used his charms on the nurse, so she says it's okay." She went over to Hayley and also gave her a hug. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks!"

Horatio was the last one to congratulate them. He shook Ryan's hand and actually gave him a real smile, with teeth and everything, and went up to Hayley, giving her a quick hug. "Now where's that baby boy, we've all come to see?"

Ryan quickly walked over to the small bassinet which was on the other side of Hayley's bed and carefully picked up the little sleeping bundle. Smiling proudly, he walked back to them and showed them his son.

"Oh my God, he's beautiful!" Alexx said, holding out her arms towards him. "Give him to me!" Ryan laughed as he laid the baby in her arms before going to sit with Hayley on her bed.

They all surrounded Alexx, looking down at the baby's face. There were a lot of 'Ooo's' and 'Awwww's' as they watched him, all waiting for their turn to hold him.

Eric looked over Alexx's shoulder and laughed, shaking his head. "My Godson looks exactly like you, Wolfe. It's not good news."

Calleigh shook her head and pointed at the baby's face. "He's got Hayley's chin."

The Cuban snorted, looking at the blond woman. "How can you tell it's her chin? It's a chin. It looks like a chin. That's it."

Hayley laughed and shook her head. "Cal, I'm afraid I'll have to agree with Eric on this one… Zack looks NOTHING like me."

Calleigh smiled at her and shook her head. "You never know! Maybe we'll find out what he got from you when he starts talking."

The redhead shook her head, pouting. "Not too fast. I want to keep him like this for a little while."

Horatio lifted his eyebrows at them and smiled. "Well, maybe the next one will look exactly like you!"

They both snorted and looked at the red-haired man as if he were crazy. Ryan lifted his hand up and frowned. "Can we PLEASE have some time dealing with this one before we start talking about another one??? 'Cause I don't really feel like going through all this anytime soon."

Hayley gasped and gave him a dark look. "What did YOU have to go through that was so bad, huh?"

Horatio smiled and shook his head, turning his attention back on the baby as it was laid in his waiting arms.

* * *

_So? What'd you think? I didn't want to write the birth itself.... too disgusting. And you all know how it would have gone... just watch "Knocked Up" and it will give you a pretty good idea._

_Hope you allllllllllllll review this chap!!!!_

_The only thing left is the epilogue.... and I'm not changing my mind this time!!!!_

_Love ya all!!!!_


	27. EPILOGUE

**Author's note:** Here it is! The end… I'm really really sad… but all good things must come to an end. I absolutely LOVED writing about Ryan and Hayley's story.

Hope you enjoy this last chapter!!!! Sorry if it's so short!!!!

Love ya all!

* * *

**Chapter 26: Introducing Zack Wolfe**

Hayley opened the front door and let out a long heavy sigh. "HOME! FINALLY!!!" She waited for Ryan to walk in before shutting the door and following him through the house. "I hope you realize you drove like a grandmother, Ry."

Ryan breathed a sigh of relief as he carefully put the baby carrier on the table. "No I didn't. I was just _really_ careful."

Hayley rolled her eyes and wrapped one arm around his waist. She put her head against his arm as they both looked down at Zack, who was sleeping soundly in his seat. She reached for his small head and pulled his hat off, uncovering his soft dark brown hair. "We should put him in his crib. He's going to be sleeping for some time."

Ryan nodded and started unbuckling him. His movements were slow and careful, stopping every time the baby whimpered or moved. Hayley grinned and wrinkled her nose. At this speed, they would still be there in two hours. "You know, you won't break him, Ryan."

He looked at her and shook his head. "I know. Just… let me get used to this, alright. He's so small… I'm still a little nervous." He picked him up slowly and cradled him into his arms.

Hayley smirked at him and extended her arms. "Give him to me then."

Ryan shook his head and turned away from her, holding his son closer to his chest. "No way! You had him all for yourself for nine months! Now it's my turn."

She laughed, shaking her head as she followed him towards the nursery. She took her time, still feeling a little sore from the delivery. The only scar Hayley would keep from giving birth would probably be the memory of the excruciating pain she had felt. Everybody says you forget all about the pain when you finally see your baby's face… but they're all lying. Still, it was totally worth it. Seeing her baby for the first time had made number one in the top five of the best moments of her life.

She could also tell Ryan felt the same way. The moment he had taken his son into his arms for the first time, she had seen pride shining in his eyes and his smile still hadn't left his lips. She could say, without a doubt, that she had never seen him this happy.

Grinning, Hayley walked in the nursery and stood beside him as he carefully set their son in his crib. The baby whimpered and made a few sucking sounds before settling down again, deep in sleep.

They both stayed quiet for a few minutes, enjoying just looking at him as he slept. "Isn't he the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?"

She chuckled softly and nodded, reaching with her hand to caress her son's soft brown hair. "He is."

Ryan wrapped his arm around her waist, bringing her tightly against his side. He would've never thought he could ever be this happy. Right now, he felt completely content with his life. He had a girlfriend he loved more than anything, and who loved him back. And he had a beautiful perfectly healthy baby boy.

He turned towards Hayley and put his hands on her cheeks, bringing her face up to his. He heard her sigh as he kissed her lips softly. He pulled back after a few seconds and smiled before walking out of the room, leaving her by the crib. He waited for her in the hallway and took her hand when she finally walked out. "Are you hungry?"

The redhead shook her head, following him back in the kitchen. "Not really. But we should eat before everyone gets here. I know they all visited when we were at the hospital, but something tells me they're going to show up some time today."

Ryan chuckled quietly. Their friends had all been very excited and eager to see the first CSI baby. They had spent a lot of time at the hospital with them, and had left reluctantly when the nurse had kicked them out of the room. Especially Calleigh and Eric, the proud godparents, who couldn't seem to get enough of that baby.

Ryan went for the fridge but stopped, looking uncertain. "I need to… go to the bathroom first. I'll be right back."

Hayley lifted her eyebrows at him and smirked. She knew he was going to check on Zack, but didn't say anything. She couldn't blame him. The moment she had walked out of the nursery, she had fought the urge to walk back in. Shaking her head, she went to the fridge and peeked inside. She grimaced and called out to him. "Hey, Ry? Is it okay with you if we order something? I really don't feel like cooking anything."

She waited for his answer and frowned when it never came. "Ry?"

She turned around and saw him standing in the doorway, holding something fuzzy in his hands. Realizing what it was, she gave him an innocent look, trying to keep herself from laughing. "What?"

Ryan chuckled and threw the stuffed animal at her. "My son will NOT sleep with a thong-wearing gorilla in his crib."

**THE END**

* * *

Hmmmm...

I've been thinking about maybe writing a sequel…

If you've got ideas, good or bad ^_^, I could really really use them! But don't get too excited... IF I DO write a sequel, it will take A WHILE before you get to read it.

AGain, THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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